One day, you look at your life, and it has purpose and someone that makes you feel very special and friends. And all the time and pain that it took to get there, it just doesn't matter anymore.
- Peyton Sawyer

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emilie took a couple of painkillers before informing Gabriel she was going to bed. She'd never had a headache this severe before; she hoped a good sleep would dull its pain for tomorrow. She'd need to be ready to support Adrien. She needed to make sure she was there for him.

"Wake me up if you get a call off, Adrien."

"Of course, honey." Gabriel walked over to his beautiful blonde wife and placed a tender kiss on her forehead.  "I hope you feel better soon." Gabriel returned to his seat picking up his whisky tumbler and draining whatever was left into his mouth.

They'd paid for the best medical help they could get for Marinette. She meant too much to their family, and not just for her creativity at work but for her happiness, joy and love she'd brought into the household ever since Adrien had met her. Both the senior Agreste's saw her as a daughter and treated her like one too.

Emilie made her way into the master suite, setting her glass of water on the bedside table and climbing under her bedsheets. She closed her eyes and tried to block out the pain, only for it to grow more intense. She tried to open her eyes but had lost the freedom to do so. Behind her eyelids a flicker of light began to play - a film very similar to those of the older projector screens.

Memories started to file back into her head. Nathalie arriving with the Miraculous, the broken Peacock Miraculous, Gabriel, Hawk Moth, Ladybug and Chat Noir saving her, Marinette and Adrien saving her. Her eyes finally burst open and she sat up breathing heavy, sweat pouring down her face. Was it true? It felt so real? She was pulled out her thoughts when suddenly the door bell rang. She made her way downstairs to her husbands side.

—————————————————

Gabriel went to get another whisky. He felt uneasy but he couldn't link it to a suitable reason why? He looked at his phone for the billionth time in the last minute. He couldn't stand not being there to help, though there was little they could do at the moment and Adrien had been consistently informing them throughout the day.

He downed his next glass of whisky and felt some relief from the burning sensation that hit the back of his throat. He was about to poor his next glass when the doorbell rang.

———————————————————

Nathalie was waiting outside Marinette's medicial room. The photographers outside were starting to build as the news was released about Marinette. It wouldn't be long until the Gorilla was standing guard outside the door so she needed to act now.

She was sitting on the waiting chairs with dark glasses and a red wig on. Hopefully the disguise would be enough to trick anyone going in or out of Marinette's room; though at the moment her main worry was Adrien catching her. She was quite sure it wouldn't go down well.

A Chinese looking woman came out of Marinette's room and Nathalie noticed the fox tail necklace and butterfly brooch. She then knew exactly what she needed to do.

————————————————

Adrien stroked his hand through his ladies hair and smiled. The cuts over her body had already began to heal. All he needed to do now was to try and wake her up. He slowly lent forward and gently placed a kiss on her soft pink lips. His eyes slid closed as his lips remained locked onto hers. Removing his lips and moving backwards he slowly opened his eyes.

A small smile appeared on Marinette's face. Her eyes still weren't opening but it was clear the kiss had done something.

"I'm not opening my eyes until you do that again, my Prince."

His heart leapt out his chest. She knew it was him. She had remembered he was her Prince. He felt like all his Christmas' had come at once. He could do this, he actually could do this. He bent down and placed another kiss on her lips.

"Hummmm... thank you Adrien." She muttered as she began to open her eyes.

She'd expected to find the model she was crushing on sitting next to her. Instead she was shocked to see her parents in the room with Adrien. She looked between them before a red glow spread across her face. Had she actually just asked him to kiss her in front of her parents, this was awkward. She looked around again, where was she? A hospital?

"Maman, Papa, this is my friend Adrien." Adrien tried to hold in his tears, she was back, she remembered him and she was talking. Dammit, she'd even asked him for a kiss.

"We've met remember," Sabine held onto her daughters hand tears rolling gently down her cheeks, "when you came to get the croissant for your university challenge."

"We've had time to catch up since you've been in hospital. Such a gentleman." Tom placed his hand on Adrien's shoulder as he beamed at Marinette. Her face went redder. Were her parents trying to set her up? Not that she'd mind being with Adrien, but this was slightly strange.

"I'll leave you to speak to your parents for a bit. It's great to see you awake, Princess." He placed one more kiss on her cheek before he left the room, heaving her with one more look. Marinette smiled and placed her hand on her cheek as her eyes followed Adrien out of her hospital room.

"He can be really sweet sometimes," she said to herself.

"He most certainly can." Her Maman replied, smiling as Adrien left the room.

"Now can you please tell me what I'm doing in hospital?" Marinette wanted answers.

—————————————————

Felix and Kagami we're rushing around the house packing as much as they could into boxes and suitcases.

"Have you booked the tickets?" Kagami asked.

"Yes, and I've spoken to Uncle too. We'll be back in England by tomorrow afternoon. He's got us both positions within the finance department. Adrien shouldn't know we're still working for the company."

"Good."

For two incredibly stubborn people both of them felt that no apology would be enough for what they had done to Adrien and Marinette. They also knew they were using Adrien's good side to their advantage to remain in the company. When Gabriel would tell him, they knew being family would be the weakness in Adrien. He was too pure and too innocent to not help them out. That was as long as Marinette made it out of this mess alive. If not, Felix was quite sure Adrien wouldn't be too forgiving in his revenge.

As they were putting in their last remaining items, there was a knock on the door.

—————————————————

Adrien went for a walk around the hospital just to gather some control on his feelings. The plan was to allow her Maman and Papa to explain about the memory loss, and that they now knew she was also Ladybug. He didn't want to seem too pushy, he wanted to give her space to make up her own mind.

His phone vibrated in his pocket and he saw Nino's name appear on the screen. The tears he'd been holding in released. He was beginning to think he'd used his lifetimes tear quota in the matter of two days. Pressing the green circle he placed his phone to his ear.

"Hey man."

"Hey dude, any news?" He could tell Nino was nervous.

"She's awake and she asked me for a kiss so I'm thinking you were right - I do have a chance."

"Of course I'm right. Nino knows all remember." Adrien let out a chuckle for the first time in days. He was so grateful of his friends.

"I'll never doubt you again."

"Just remember that as I tell you this next piece of information." Adrien's blood ran cold. This wasn't going to be good. "There's threats to Marinette's life which have been arriving to Alya via the Ladyblog. Alya's been trying to keep the messenger at bay but now they've had enough and they want Marinette." Adrien gasped into the phone. "Adrien it gets worse. Max has traced the messages to an IP address in the main 'Agreste' building."

"Shit!"

"Exactly. Kim and Max are starting to work on it but we need to keep Mari safe."

"I'll get bodyguards around her house and the bakery, can you ask Max if he can fit the same security systems as we have. I'll pay for the best, I don't care how much it costs. All I know is nothings going to happen to her ever again." He ended the call and slid his phone in his pocket.

"Will this ever end?" He asked Plagg. The little kwami shrugged and went back to cuddling up to Hugo. Looking at the tiny new kwami calmed Adrien down somewhat. He wondered if Hugo be sweet and caring like Ladybug or impulsive and possessive like Chat Noir.

As Adrien made his way back to Marinette's room he heard muffled sobs coming from a utility closest. Opening the door he realised that things would never end.

"She's got it," Shén jī could barely get her words out. "She's got the butterfly and fox." Those were the last words she spoke before fading away into the darkness.

"Black cat luck strikes again." Plagg exclaimed. Adrien closed the door and made his way back to Marinette's room.

What else could happen today and who did Shén jī mean by she?

——————————————————

Gabriel and Emilie reached the door at the same time. Emilie looked over Gabriel in disgust. How could he do all of this to their son? It was his fault, all of it. Everything that had happened to her family was his fault, she didn't know how she would ever forgive him. She had began to remember fragments of the night she'd been saved.

The conversations she had with Ladybug and Chat Noir. Chat Noir was her son, his girlfriend was Ladybug, they'd stripped her memories away because she asked for it to happen. Then a thought hit her making her stumble backwards a few steps ... Nathalie. She'd used Gabriel's weakness for power and exploited it.

Opening the door they found four of Adrien and Marinette's friends. Gazing into their eyes, Emilie could feel their fear.

"Mr and Mrs Agreste, we need to talk."

—————————————————

Felix scanned through the window to see who was standing outside the door. His eyes met two people who he least expected to see.

"Kagami, go out the back and run. You need to find Adrien. Nathalie and Lila are here."

Kagami ran towards the back door before coming back to give Felix one last kiss. Reluctant to let go, silently exiting the house and leaving Felix all alone.

"Well, well, are we going somewhere Felix?" Nathalie walked around the room once Felix had opened the door. She kicked a few of the boxes scattered around.

Lila followed in, looking him up and down.

"You're either with us or against us?" She snarled, she wanted nothing more than to make Felix pay. He'd promised her Adrien, all she had to do was turn up at the engagement party and he'd be hers. Instead she'd gotten completely embarrassed by Dupain-Cheng and Gabriel.

"I'm against you. I've had enough." Félix stood his ground, no one else was getting hurt because of him.

"Then you know what's going to happen." Nathalie pulled back her coat revealing the butterfly brooch.

"Nooroo, dark wings rise."