A/n: I've been going through old notes and drafts clearing things out, and I found this from 2022 I never finished. But it has potential so I'll post what I have and if you guys want me to continue it, I'll come up with a full plot for a little oneshot series based on it.

The world slowly began to creep in around him as he stirred awake, hearing a voice whisper his name.

"Adrien! Adrien wake up!"

When he opens his eyes and adjusts to the level of light, he's able to make out Nathalie in the darkness. She's not looking that good, pale with dark Eyebags and messy hair. Like she'd been up all night and sick. Well... she is still sick. Her usually pristine bun was loose and falling apart, her usually warm cheeks dull and sunken like she'd lost some weight from this illness. She looked... painful.

"Nathalie? What's going on?" Adrien asked, still half asleep.

"I'll explain everything in the car but right now I need to you come with me. Bring your pillow and blanket if you want but you need to come" Nathalie whispered.

"What? Why?"

"I told you I'll explain everything, you can sleep some more in the car if you want but we have to go now"

He had no idea what was going on, and he felt a bit scared in all honesty. Being woken up and told to 'come with me' is vague as hell, and knowing his sketchy household rather concerning. But he got out of bed and dragged his blanket and pillow with him, putting in his slippers and taking his phone just in case and followed Nathalie quietly out to the car.

"Where's father?" He asked.

"Not coming" Nathalie replied.

"Why? What's going on, I'm confused. Is something wrong? Did something happen to Felix and my Aunt?"

Nathalie put her hands on the boys shoulders and gave him a serious look, she seemed concerned herself. She let out a sigh, a sorrowful and exhausted one.

"Listen Adrien, when I knew your mother I promised her that I'd protect you when she's not around. I'm making sure I don't break that promise, I almost did but... I won't let that happen. I know this is confusing and difficult to process but I promise you that everything will be so much safer and easier if you just come with me" She said.

Adrien was still a bit confused, but the mention of the promise gave him a little security in the situation. Her words were starting to make things click in his mind. This was an escape. Nathalie was risking a lot here, but she was doing it for Adrien, and for his late mother.

"Are we leaving father behind?" He asked.

"Yes. Adrien please, I'm just trying to protect you. I know that he's not been treating you right, and I'm so so sorry for just standing by and letting it happen for so long. But I was... I was caught up in his lies too. We can fix things as best we can as long as we're safe and away for a while ok?"

He was silent for a moment as he slowly processed what was going on in his sleepy state. It was no secret that his hatred for his father had been growing over the years the more he neglected and harmed him. He wasn't expecting Nathalie of all people to come to his rescue though, especially while she's sick.

"But you're sick, isn't this going to hurt you?" He asked.

"I'm going to be sick for a very long time, but I can't let it stop me from doing things that need to be done. As long as I'm controlling and monitoring my symptoms I'll be ok" Nathalie replied.

He looked up at the house, and then over at the car. In the window he could see a few bags. Some were his, and presumably contained things like his clothes. While the situation was a bit scary, and he was conflicted about leaving the one of the only family members he had left. There was something in him telling him to go with Nathalie, a survival instinct of sorts.

"Ok..." he said.

Sighing in relief, Nathalie hugged the boy tight and then ushered him into the passenger seat.

"Here" she said, handing him something small from the centre console.

He took it, finding it was a SIM card.

"Your father can track your phone if you still have your SIM card, change it. I know it's kind of annoying to have to get all your friends numbers again but it's better safe than sorry" Nathalie explained.

Adrien nodded in understanding, popping the old card out, and the new one in. Handing the old one to Nathalie, she simply tossed it out the window in path of the cars tires so it'd be run over. As they began to drive off, Adrien looked down at the blanket he slept with every night gifted to him by his mother when he was still a baby, he'd slept with it every night. Once swaddled in it in his crib, fresh and fluffy. Now a bit beat up and faded, but still in one piece.

She would want him to be safe right?

"Are you ok..? You seem stressed..." Adrien asked.

Nathalie gave him a soft sigh as she drove further away from the house.

"I'm ok. I was just worried that I'd... scare you or you'd go tell your father. I know this is all very sudden and you're still so young so this must be confusing but we just need to hold out for a little while so we can make sure none of the stuff he'd been doing ever happens again. Ever since your mother he... he's been getting more and more..." Nathalie began.

Adrien knew what she was trying to say. He was always a little distant when Emilie was alive, but as soon as she died it's like he'd become a completely different person.

"Deranged?" He suggested.

"Yeah... that's one way to put it..." she sighed.

Adrien looked down at his phone, re-booted now with a new card in it. His first thought was to turn off any way of tracking his phone. Location services went off, any apps that could track whereabouts like google maps were deleted. Even though this was sudden, he understood why this was happening and was on Nathalie's side here.

His contacts, now empty of numbers on this fresh SIM card. He asked Nathalie for her new number, so he could keep it in his contacts and figured it'd be safest to only contact his friends via internet messengers rather than his number so it wouldn't be traceable. Snapchat deletes messages that don't get saved after 24 hours. So he figured that would be the best form of communication here.

And the first person he thought to message was Luka.

Because in truth... he was the one person Adrien didn't want to leave behind. He needed to keep Luka in the know more than anyone.

He snapped a picture down at his slippers, nothing fancy and added the message.

Hey I have a new SIM card so don't message my old number or I won't see it. Message me here if you need.

He didn't really think anything else of it, it was the middle of the night, why would Luka be awake? But to his surprise, he quickly got a snap back. Luka simply looking at the camera confused clearly in bed but still awake.

What are you doing awake this late sir??? And why the new SIM card?

Adrien hesitated a moment, did he tell Luka the truth?

"Nathalie" Adrien said.

"Yeah?" She replied, keeping her eyes on the road.

"How much of this can I tell... only Luka. Hell keep a secret if he has to"

Nathalie knew Luka, she knew of the nature of the relationship between him and Adrien. She knew he could be trusted.

"You can tell him, just... don't mention too many details. Just in case. If your father gets police involved it's best no one knows your exact whereabouts" she explained.

"Ok... I get it"

Adrien flipped the camera, allowing his face and the bags in the back seat in the frame.

Guess who's escaping their shitty dad

A few minutes later, several snaps came through in quick succession. The first a blurry picture clearly taken as Luka sat up in shock.

OMF?????

The next a video, spoken quietly to not wake up anyone else in his house.

"Holy FUCK Adrien???? Where are you going? Are you ok? Is Nathalie driving you? What is going on holy shit???"

And the next, another video

"I mean, yes. Good, get away from his bitchass. But shit dude, please tell me you're ok"

It was that which made Adrien realise... he didn't actually know where the hell he was going...

"Nath-" he began.

"Across the border, he can't do anything if we aren't in French soil. I'm legally one of your guardians, so unless he wants to cry domestic kidnapping, I can take you wherever I want" she replied, already knowing what he was going to say.

Belgium? Adrien had been there before for photoshoots, so he wasn't a stranger to the area. And with how we'll executed this was, it was clear Nathalie has made plans in advance about living spaces and legal affairs.

For a moment it crossed his mind, what about Ladybug and Cat Noir? But quickly he remembered he can very easily get back to Paris with his miraculous if needed. He was already faster and stronger as Cat Noir, he could either leap back there in 15 or so minutes or he could use Astro cat and get there in 2.

"Alright... good idea" he simply replied.

But now he looked down at his phone, seeing Luka was still active in the chat clearly waiting for an answer... he sure as hell hoped this news wouldn't freak him out any more than he already was...