Adrien

Adrien studied the tiny girl sitting in his oversized office chair; her smiling face was a complete contrast to his, as he attempted to comprehend what the hell was going on. He looked behind him before searching the room for hidden cameras, because this had to be a joke. He'd seen many celebrities caught out on shows which were looking to make a fool of them by pulling practical jokes, and what would be better than supermodel and 'lothario' Adrien Agreste thinking he was a father.

"Papa, Paaaapa!"

The soft sounds of a toddler pulled his attention back to the chair and to the child who, now come to think of it, looked surprisingly like... him! Apart from the pretty purple dress and pigtails, she was the spitting image of himself as a baby. Though, there was something else too, something that reminded him of someone else.

Watching the toddler scuttle off the chair and onto the ground, she stumbled forward and into him, wrapping her arms around his thighs and snuggly her head in between his legs. He froze to the spot before looking around the room again. She was holding onto him with such a tight and secure grip, he was scared to move in case the toddler stumbled forward and crashed onto the floor, or into the corner of his glass meeting table.

Yup, there must be a camera hidden in here somewhere. Perhaps his father had done it to use as blackmail.

"Papa, up!" The girl unravelled herself from his legs and looked up at him with her incredible green eyes. She stretched up, clenching and unclenching her hands. "Papa!" she repeated, this time a little more aggressively before jumping up and down and whimpering.

What did he do? He'd never been around children before. It wasn't like he was opposed to them, but he just didn't know what to do with them and, at this moment, more precisely... her. Chewing the inside of his cheek, he raised one hand to the back of his nape and began to rub, angering the child and causing her to whimper even louder.

Damn it!

"Hey, now! Come here sweetie." Lifting her up and placing her on his hip, she snuggled into his neck before pulling away sharply and grabbing his cheeks.

"Papa!" she said excitedly, patting his cheeks before moving her head in and rubbing noses with him. Could she say anything else?

Adrien laughed, taken by the small child in his arms. "I don't think I'm your Papa, sweetheart. Maybe he's out in a boardroom or something? Shall we have a look?"

"Papa, here! Pwag?"

So she could say more words! Screwing his eyebrows together, he tried to understand what she'd just said. What was a pwag?

"Pwag?" she repeated again, looking at him expectantly, only to get more angry by the lack of response. "Pwag?"

Unsure what to do, Adrien placed her feet onto the floor, the young girl taking the opportunity to start screaming – high pitched and loud... so very, very loud. She sat down, throwing herself backwards and continued to scream, this time adding a little more pzazz into it by kicking her feet hard against the floor.

"Hey, hey, hey, it's okay." Adrien bent down, squatting next to the girl so he could talk to her, only to be attacked when she threw her arms around his neck. She wailed again, almost bursting his eardrums as the scream of the toddler rang in his ears.

Standing, Adrien huddled the small child to his chest, the blonde fluff of her little pigtails tickling against his cheek as she huddled into his neck.

"It's okay, pretty girl," he shushed, bouncing her up and down as he moved side to side. Adrien was sure this is how they calmed children in the tv shows that he'd watched. "It's okay," he hushed again, attempting to control the trembling in the pit of his stomach.

This was not good.

Considering his options, Adrien attempted to sit down and reach for his office phone, only for his eardrums to curse him as the girl screamed again. It seemed sitting down was not an option. Standing up again, the toddler continued to wail at the top of her lungs, Adrien bouncing and shushing her again in an attempt to stop Sabrina sending in the police, or maybe even the army.

"Can you shut her up?" A whine was heard from the drawer at the top of his desk, a black blob appearing not too long after and hovering in front of Adrien's face.

"Can't you see I'm trying?" the model hissed back, causing the child to wail even louder. "It's ok, it's ok," he attempted to calm her.

Adrien glared at Plagg, the kwami flying around a little closer to Adrien and the child.

"Who is this?" the kwami asked, looking disgusted at the screaming girl.

"A baby," Adrien responded, his deadpan tone obviously annoying the tiny god of destruction, as Plagg attempted to place his hands on his hips.

"I know it's a baby, but how did it get here?"

"She. Not it! And you see Plagg, when a man loves a woman —"

Without warning, the child's head shot up and her hand almost gave Adrien a black eye as she reached forwards to grab the kwami.

"Pwag!!" she squealed excitedly, moving her hand in an attempt to grab the creature. Plagg shot out the way, ducking and diving to the other side of the room causing the girl to start screaming again; her legs kicked hard in a need to escape; Adrien noted each kick was a little too close to his family jewels.

"Plagg, get back here!"

"Pwag," the girl cried once more, Adrien finally realising something he should have had at least 5 minutes ago. She knew the kwami's name, she knew...

"Strange, isn't it?"

Adrien's head shot around to the side, spinning himself and the child around and coming face to face with...

"Bunnyx?"

Adrien looked around the room, curious as to what was happening. He hadn't seen the rabbit hero often, just a couple of brief encounters over the years of his secret superheroing, so to have her here just seemed a little bizarre.

"Hey, Kitty Noir."

Guffawing, Adrien shook the girl with his laugh only for her to bounce up and down on his hip and giggle at the movement.

"Yeah, I don't think that works anymore."

"Of course not," the heroine said, walking forward towards Adrien and grabbing the girl from his arms. "Plagg, this is Emma."

The black kwami flew over towards the girl and took in her face for the first time. Plagg looked between Adrien and Bunnyx before turning back to Emma.

"That is uncanny," he said, flying closer to Emma.

"Actually, it's not."

Plagg turned his attention to Bunnyx as he watched the two intrigued.

"Are you telling me —?"

"Oh yes!"

"Both?"

"Yup."

"So it is true?"

Unsure what was going on Adrien stepped closer to Bunnyx, his frown going deeper. "Does anyone want to share with the class?"

He looked hopefully between the three. Maybe if the two older beings in the room couldn't give him the answer, the youngest one would. The toddler, instead, wiggled her way from the bunny hero's arms and ran full pelt back at Adrien only to trip midway and head butt him in the most horrendous of places.

"Steady there, Buttercup!"

Scooping her in his arms, Adrien seated himself on the sofa, wincing as the young girl wiggled around on his lap. Today was not going the way he planned. He'd been scalded, headbutted, and apparently become the virgin Mary. He had never had sex. He'd never come close to having sex. So how the hell did he have a daughter?

Looking over to the other superhero and his kwami, Adrien couldn't help but wonder if she had come from a different time. Maybe, just a couple of years down the line, he would have a daughter of his own. His own little Buttercup! She was beautiful, he couldn't deny it. She was almost the spitting image of his mother and her grandmother; the colouring, the shape of her face... but then the eyes! There was something so mesmerising about her eyes.

It wasn't the colour, the colour was 100% his green – it was the shape. They were wide and full of life. A perfect shape and almost oriental looking. They were friendly and approachable, and he knew they had come from her mother.

A quick glance up at his kwami told him the conversation they were in the midst of was deep. Very deep. Plagg's little arms flying around as though he was directing an incoming aeroplane to land.

As if sensing Adrien's presence, both stopped and glared at him. Not knowing what to do, he turned his attention straight back to his 'daughter' and concentrated on what she was trying to tell him. Something about a 'shark doo doo'?

"She'll be staying here with you." Bunnyx had moved over to where Adrien was settled with Emma, seating herself in the seat opposite and cooing at the girl once more. It seemed the two had quite the relationship.

"Woah! What a second! I can't have a kid around here," Adrien gasped before attempting to calm his voice down. "What do I do if there's an akuma?"

"Don't worry about it! She's used to tagging along or being left with her grandparents."

"Yeah, I don't think so. I wouldn't leave a pen in the capable hands of my father."

"Where I completely take that point on board! This poor child needs parents and you are the chosen one." She made the statement as though it was the finale trick in a magic hat. What was she going to pull out of the burrow next? A white dove?

Adrien felt a migraine coming, his one hand coming up to rub his creasing forehead as his eyes settled shut, blocking out the sunlight shining through his floor to ceiling windows.

"Awwww, papa poorly."

A dampness hit his cheek as a small face pressed itself against him. He was hoping she had just kissed him, although a small voice in the back of his head was telling him it was either a lick, or Emma rubbing her wet nose into his cheek.

"Bwunny," Emma exclaimed, moving herself from his lap and sliding her feet onto the floor. "Emma, Bwunny!" she said again, moving around his room and heading straight for his desk.

"Bwunn – I mean – Bunny's here, Buttercup."

"She's not on about me," Bunnyx interrupted Adrien. "She's on about her little comfy. She won't sleep without it. You see, I'm the favourite of this Agreste child."

There was a sound of victory in her voice, a tone which really showed her enthusiasm and how much she loved Emma having a love of bunnies.

"That's sweet," Adrien smiled before it vanished and jumped ship. "This Agreste child? How many Agreste children are there?"

"Awwwww, my lips are sealed. Too many universes, too many variations. You're the only Adrien without a child so... tag you're it."

"And her mother?"

"She can't tell you that." Plagg flew over and settled himself on the coffee table between the two women.

"Look, if she came straight to me and said papa, then she'll spot her maman and do the same. Isn't it best that I'm prepared? Though, you haven't exactly filled me in yet on why this child is here and why I seem to be looking after her for... What did you say? Forever!" Adrien was getting more irate and he knew it wasn't Bunnyx's fault, but she was the messenger so unfortunately she would have to deal with this.

"There's not a lot I can tell you without changing the space and time continuum. You know that."

Adrien sighed and flopped back on his seat. "There's got to be something? I will take anything."

"Listen, you're Chat Noir in every universe. That never changes, which means there's something you're always battling against or fighting. To keep Emma safe, and to make sure things go the way they're meant to, she has to stay here."

Suddenly his eyes lit up. "Does that mean her mother's Ladybug?"

"Ladybug's are... different in each universe. It depends on what happens in their college years. It's hard to explain."

"So if she does find her maman, it doesn't mean she's Ladybug in this universe? Is that what you're saying?"

Bunnyx pouted her lips, her head tilting side to side. "Something like that."

Adrien settled back once more into the sofa, a smug smile taking over his lips. "You do realise you've just admitted this is Ladybug and Chat Noir's kid, right?"

Bunnyx shot up, her back straight as a rod as she looked Adrien over. "You tricked me!" she gasped.

"Not so much tricked as manipulated."

"Adrien Agreste, a bit different here aren't you! But remember, even if it is Ladybug and Chat Noir's kid, that doesn't mean it's your Ladybug's kid." She stood from where she'd been sitting and headed over to where Emma had wandered off to. "Aha!" she claimed, finding the pocket watch and preparing it to take back with her.

Adrien stood and crossed his arms, looking at the blue bunny wandering around his office. If anyone walked in right now he was sure they'd think he was into some sort of weird Playboy shit.

He looked at Plagg and sighed, before turning his questions back on Bunnyx. "Somethings happened to her parents, hasn't it?" he asked, scanning his eyes over the area in search of the small girl.

"Something like that, yup! Her name is Emma Agreste, as I said, and she's 19 months old. A little bit of a handful and a temper like a volcano, but you'll get used to her."

"I'm — I'm lost for words. I actually have no idea what to say. Am I dead?" his voice squeaked out.

A giggled sound came from somewhere in the room and he couldn't help the twitch of his lips, schooling it back down as quickly as it appeared.

"Isn't she adorable?" Bunnyx smiled back.

"Never mind that," he coughed, trying to get his head back in the game. "I can't just take someone else's child! What am I meant to tell people?"

"That you have a beautiful baby girl." She smirked and Adrien felt his nerves tighten. His father would not approve of this motherless child, a child who suddenly he couldn't find.

"Where is she?" He wasn't sure if he was asking the room or speaking to himself, but the sound of Bunnyx's laughing shrivelled his insides into tiny raisins.

"Have fun!"

Before he could get another word in, Bunnyx had created a portal and was already disappearing into it.

Damn it! How was he meant to cope with a toddler? He could barely look after himself! And his father... oh, man! This was not going to go down well. Maybe he could tell his old man the truth? That a superhero from another dimension has brought him Chat Noir's child to look after.

Nah! Who was he kidding? His father would think he was insane and send him off to some stress free retreat, probably with Lila... uh, Lila. What was he meant to say to his old man after the epic failure of a date they'd had the previous evening?

A ding echoed through the hallway, and he was surprised he could hear it with his door cl— he looked to the doorway noticing the void of the large wooden object. An object he was positive he'd shut.

"Oh, shit!" Like a siren pulling a shipwrecked sailor, Adrien began to walk towards the elevator just in time to see the doors shut, and the small blonde toddler waving unceremoniously at him.

The doors had closed before he'd reached them, his only option being to take the emergency staircase down to... damn... he didn't even know where he was going.

"Plagg!" he yelled, the kwami hurrying beside him as he continued his awkward side step down the stairwell, jumping the last couple of steps on each section and pushing off into a sprint.

"I need you to tell me which floor she's gone to." The words came out in challenged breaths, each one taking an edge off his speed. He'd never had issues running and talking before, and he liked to talk — a lot.

Plagg zipped away and Adrien prayed he'd be back soon; he began to stumble down the next section of the staircase.

"Come on, come on, come on!"

As he reached the next landing a black blur came in front of him, freezing him in his tracks.

"She's pressed every button," Plagg announced, Adrien growling as he continued down the stairwell. Each stop was a helping hand for him. The elevator she'd gotten into stopped at the 2nd floor which meant that if he made it down there in the next couple of minutes, he could match with the end destination and stop before she made a great escape again.

Three flights to go.

"Plagg, claws out!" Using his enhanced skills, Chat Noir flung himself over the balustrade, landed in front of the 2nd floor door.

Materials and accessories.

"Claws in!" he demanded, slamming the door open and hurrying out.

In his heist he didn't feel the impact until he was completely tangled with someone else, and pushing them into the wall.

The impact ended and he realised his eyes were closed. Damn, he was going to have some grovelling to do — either that or be prepared for the HR meeting. Slowly, opening his eyes with a grimace, he gasped then smiled.

He continued to stare down at the woman between where his hands had slammed into the wall, trapping her into the middle and her blue eyes meeting his.