(This is the 3rd part to the Wedding Planner series. You can find a version divided into chapters and the first two parts on a separate story I have on here as well if you like. Otherwise the non-stop version of the series is right here and in previous "chapters" of this collection of fics. Wherever you decide to read it, enjoy!)

"It will just take a second," Marinette promises, running off to their bedroom where she had left her sketchbook.

Adrien stretches out on their couch in the living room, pressing his back against the cushion and calling after her. "You know I'm not the best at these things!" He warns.

The couple had just finished dinner and were relaxing together, catching up on some TV. Marinette had been fidgety all evening, tapping her foot, playing with her fingers, and occasionally tense. It had worried Adrien a bit, knowing her tells of when she was anxious, but knew she would say something if something was wrong.

The late afternoon sunbeams were streaming in when she sprung from her seat suddenly and said she was working on some designs and wanted Adrien to see them, it wasn't too out of the ordinary.

She hustles down the stairs and rounds the corner into their generously sized living room. Their style wasn't glitzy, nor modern; it was homey, lived in. Blankets hung over chairs backs, various books scattered around the surfaces in the room, and their hamster, Amande, running around in his cage against the wall. It was perfect.

She sits cross-legged on the couch next to him, leaving some space between as she turns to face him. She keeps her head down as she flips through her sketches, before finally turning to the one of interest. "Yeah, so, I drew these up the other day, and I want to know what you think," she says earnestly, handing him the sketchbook.

He gladly accepts, always fascinated by the designs his wife created for fun or for their various fashion lines that they've established and grown from Agreste Fashion. Adrien mostly manages the business side, being the head of the company, making decisions for new lines and production.

But he raises an eyebrow when he looks over the sketches from Marinette, he suppresses a chuckle, "Ha, I think your scale is off a bit, M'lady."

"How so?" she replies quickly, as if expecting this question to arise. Her hands are tucked under her feet in front of her, leaning forward slightly towards him.

He smiles, now thinking it's a joke, "Well, these measurements make it seem like the piece is only a foot long," he wipes some eraser dust off the page reflexively, "it's as if this were for a doll."

Mari leans in slightly more, her eyes not leaving his face, "Or...?"

His gaze moves to her slowly, "'Or?' Or... what, I don't know?" he looks back down at the sketch.

On the surface it wasn't the craziest thing he'd seen Mari design, especially after they've had a drink or two, but in the end, most of those were just surprises for them to laugh at the next morning. Right now, she was serious. All previous anxiousness has been absorbed into her focus.

Shorts and a T-shirt. That's all it seemed to be. The sketch was of what did seem like was meant for a doll. The proportions were off, even if the scale was right. The colors were bold: bright green shorts and sky-blue shirt.

"Adrien," He looks back into her bluebell eyes. "What else would fit clothes like this?" she asks with a laugh escaping her lips at the end from watching him struggle.

It takes another second before something clicks in his mind, "A baby! You want to start a baby clothing line?" He asks excitedly, "It'd definitely be a new direction for us..."

She rolls her eyes, "Not exactly," her hands slide up to her belly, pulling back some of her loose dress to caress a small baby bump, trying to hold back a huge smile from taking over her entire face, and failing.

The sketchbook falls from Adrien's hands, the paper crumpling against the floor. His mouth hangs agape, his eyes shooting from her belly to her eyes, back and forth. His gaze finally rests on her face, managing a whisper breathlessly "Really?" He had noticed Mari favoring looser clothing lately but figured it was an effect of the rising summer temperatures.

She nods excitedly, glad she's finally able to tell Adrien what she had been keeping a secret for a few weeks, just to make sure it was real.

His eyes glisten, exclaiming in joy before wrapping his arms around her, pulling her over top of him as he falls backwards onto the couch, "Marinette, princess, this is incredible, amazing! I-I love you so much." He stammers, kissing her repeatedly.

"I love you too," she whispers, tears flowing from her eyes.

After a few more kisses he sits up and holds her in his arms, "How long have you known?"

"A month or so, at least when I knew for sure. I'll be 12 weeks along this Wednesday." She nestles her head on his shoulder, picking up and guiding his hand to her belly. "I wanted to wait..."

"I know, I understand" he changes to a comforting tone, rubbing her stomach.

"I didn't want to worry you again, not with opening the new venue and the whole thing with the venders-"

"Those things don't matter," he cuts off her rambling, "I want to be there for you, no matter what." He assures her.

She nods, holding back tears, "I know."

"So when are we telling Alya and Nino, if she hasn't deduced it herself already." He jokes, lifting the mood back up.

She chuckles softly, "I do think she's been suspicious lately. I'll probably text her tomorrow then she'll video call me, so I better clear my schedule."

"You probably should. We should have your parents over this weekend for dinner, do a big reveal-surprise thing," This tone drops on the last syllable, shifting himself anxiously.

She turns to him, "What, what's wrong?" She brushes some of his hair that had fallen in his face.

He shrugs, "It's uh, something, something my therapist brought up last week." He clears his throat, "They said-, they suggested that maybe it's time to reach out to my father."

Marinette sits up, "Really?" she asks, concerned, "It's been, what, 12 years?"

He nods half-heartedly, "Something like that, yeah," he sighs, "I just don't know if I'm ready still. He- he kept me practically locked up in our home for years, and destroyed Paris on multiple occasions as Hawkmoth, tried to kill me as Chat, inadvertently; I don't know if I can do it" his head drops down, "But I think I have to."

She soothes him, running her hand down his arm, "Have you really not contacted him at all since the trial?"

Nodding, he lifts his head, "I, I kind of want to show him, to tell him that I'm better off now, that my life is amazing-" he holds her hand that's on his arm, "without him."

She touches his hand to her cheek, "Whatever you decide, I support you." She whispers.

~ 1 Month Later~

The door buzzes electronically, followed by the clank of the reinforced door opening.

He nervously straightens the 'Visitor' name tag pinned to his button up shirt, his blazer draped over his arm. It had been hard for him to clear his schedule for this, especially when deep down he didn't want to be here, doing the thing he's about to do. But he had to, at least that's what he told himself.

The guard gestures for him to take a seat, three compartments down from the other person marked 'Visitor'. The woman is tearsome, middle aged, a tissue seemingly pressed into place up against her nose as she touches the glass between her and, most likely, her husband, who gazes regretfully through the glass.

"He'll be out in a moment." The guard prompts him, catching him off guard a bit.

Adrien nods and takes his seat, clasping his hands in his lap. Turning to the attentful guard, he asks, "Does Gabriel Agreste get many visitors?", trying not to let his eyes linger on the gun holstered on his hip.

He shrugs and shakes his head, "This one lady with glasses and a pantsuit used to come regularly, but haven't seen her in years." He states factually, no emotion behind his words.

Adrien nods, turning back to the glass and visually inspecting the old phone receiver hung up on the wall of his sectioned off 'private compartment'; a similar, more beaten up phone hanging on the other side of the glass as well.

His foot taps on the linoleum floor, wishing he had his phone to distract himself with, but that and his other belongings had to be put in a locker at visitor check-in. The fluorescent lights softly buzz, but becomes more and more apparent the longer he sits.

A door opens on the other side, a guard ushers in Gabriel Agreste. Adrien's breath catches in his throat, never having seen his father like this before.

Even without his designer suits and glasses, both being replaced by prison issue alternatives, Gabriel seemingly tries to take care of his appearance otherwise. Still clean shaven with his hair slicked back as the only resemblance to how he used to be. But even those things were not perfect, a few strands of hair ran awry, where before Gabriel wouldn't have allowed himself to be seen in such 'disarray', as Adrien remembers him putting it.

The beige jumpsuit washed out everything about him, hanging over his slim frame as he takes a seat without meeting Adrien's eyes.

Adrien hesitates to pick up his end of the receiver, but inevitably holds the phone to his ear, watching Gabriel reluctantly do the same.

"Father." He regards plainly.

Gabriel lifts his head to look at his son, "I see your posture has regressed. Do attempt to sit up straight, why don't you" He says stoically.

Adrien automatically reacts to his father's comment, muscle memory kicking in as he pushes his shoulders back to straighten his spine. But he catches himself doing this, forcing his body to relax back into his less rigid state. "Is that all you have to say to me right now? Criticizing my posture like I'm a child?"

"Well I seemingly should have done it more when you were one." He snaps, his own body unmoving and still, while Adrien's knee bounces under the table.

Adrien closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, "I didn't come here for your feedback on my posture."

"Then why did you come?" He leans forward in his seat, "You know, they keep us well informed behind these bars; newspapers, the occasional magazine floats around. And it seems you've made quite the impression on the public with the company I left you. And that girl you've run off with, a surprising choice to say the least."

Adrien's fingers tighten around the phone. "If you could stop judging every decision I've made in the last decade for one minute..." he says through his teeth, "I was going to tell you the happy news that that girl, my wife Marinette, and I are expecting our first child. So... congrats, Gramps." He finishes abruptly, and moves to hang up the phone and leave, satisfied with at least doing what he promised himself he would do.

"Wait!" Gabriel calls out, his muffled voice coming through the receiver.

Adrien stops, and brings the phone back to his ear.

Gabriel clears his throat, "Mnn, uh, congratulations." He admits a bit begrudgingly, briefly meeting his eyes.

Adrien nods curtly, "Thank you."

"Is that the only reason you finally decided to come by?" Gabriel asks in a neutral tone, holding back his usual mannerisms.

"It was...the main reason."

"And what was the other reason?" He asks, his impatience creeping back in.

Adrien shakes his head slightly, "Just, just why, why," he stutters quietly, his vision blurring.

"You will need to be more specific, son."

"Why couldn't you let her go?" He implores suddenly, his one hand banging on the table, vibrating the thick glass between them. The guard behind Adrien, gives a warning to calm down.

He takes a breath, apologizing to the guard, before turning back to his father, "Why couldn't you just let mother go?" He restates with a more stable disposition, "We could have healed together, become a family again. But, you couldn't."

"I did what I had to do."

"Yeah, that's what the court files say! Did you ever consider that other families have tragedies as well? And they don't go looking for, for magic to torture an entire city for years in hopes of breaking the laws of nature? We could have grieved like a normal family!" He condemns, his words coming out at a more feverish pace.

"We aren't a normal family!" Gabriel snaps, cutting the building tension. "I loved your mother more than anything in the world, if you can imagine. More than any possession, more than any fame I had, more than-"

"Me." Adrien cuts in, stating it like a fact, without judgment, as if it's something he's known a long time.

Gabriel deflates a bit, "So you might understand; if anything were to happen to your Marinette, and you had what I had at my disposal, look me in the eye and tell me you wouldn't do anything to get her back." His lip curls on one side to a sickening smile, the first real expression he's made since sitting down.

"Never." Adrien answers a bit too quickly, like a reflex.

Gabriel's smile stays in place, "You're lying to yourself, Adrien. What if you returned to your home after this visit and found Marinette dead on the floor-"

"Stop."

"-and not a soul in Paris can help you. But you know a way to save your wife and unborn child-"

"Shut up."

"-a little thing called a Miraculous, when used correctly, can save them. And the only thing standing in your way, are a couple of KIDS!" He practically growls, flashing his teeth, his anger and frustration resurfacing by just thinking about Ladybug and Chat Noir.

Adrien drops the phone, letting it hit the desk as he storms out of the facility before the guards behind Gabriel restrain him and drag him back to the innards of the prison.

~

On the drive home, he can't keep his father's words out of his head, 'You're lying to yourself, Adrien'.

He would do anything for Marinette, he knows he would, especially with a baby on the way. If anything were to happen to her, could he, would he fall onto the path his father trekked and has now laid before him?

The image of the Miracle Box also burns in his mind. With Marinette as the Guardian, she needed a safe place to put it. He had a locked chamber under the floorboards of their bedroom installed when they moved in together into the apartment he had built above the bridal boutique. She carries the key with her at all times.

'Father went mad with the power of one Miraculous, and I have 20 under our bed.' He contemplates to himself.

He parks, realizing he's made it home without recalling anything from the drive, as if he were on auto-pilot. He sighs, realizing the visit wasn't what he was hoping it would be.

He steps into the backdoor of their Boutique and calls the elevator. He rides it up to the 3rd floor where their apartment is. A small hallway leads to their front door which he unlocks. Stepping in, his head jolts up to the sound of a fire alarm going off. "Mari? Marinette!?" He drops everything and makes a beeline towards the alarm. "Marinette!" He yells, his heart in his throat.

He skids to a stop in the smoky kitchen where Marinette is waving a towel at the smoke alarm, her other hand propped against her lower back. She jumps at the sight of him, "Adrien! I didn't hear you come in." She coughs, gesturing to the charred pan on the stove, "I swear I only looked away for one moment and-"

He crosses to her and hugs her tightly, ducking his head to rest on hers.

Though caught off guard, she still comforts him, rubbing her hands along his back. "Did you see him?"

He nods.

The alarm finally quiets, leaving a hollow silence around them.

"Y-you know I'd do anything for you, right?" Adrien chokes out, loosening his embrace.

She manages to catch his eye, looking up at him worriedly, "Yeah..." she braces her hand on the right side of her waist, putting pressure.

"That's what I'm afraid of." He frets.

Mari guides him over to the kitchen table to sit down, holding his hands between their laps as she sits next to him. "'Afraid'? What happened with your father?" She prompts, wanting to help him.

He shakes his head, "My father would do anything for my mother, to get her back. That's why he wanted our Miraculous, that's why he Akumatized people; it was all for her. Or at least, what it started out as.

"What if-" his hands squeeze hers, "what if you leave me, what if something were to happen to our child? What if I'm just like him?" He takes a shaky breath.

"Don't say that. You're nothing like him," She urges, trying to bring him back to the light. "You're...stronger than your father; you always have been." She sighs, "If something were to happen to me, I know you could get through it."

"It didn't feel like I could. You forget, I've already lost you once before." He kisses her fingers; a tear runs down his cheek.

She wipes it away with her sleeve. They rarely talk about that day, the day of the original fire. It was one of the reasons Adrien started therapy later that same year; too many nightmares. "And you saved me, I'm right here." She cups his cheek to wipe another stray tear away.

"But what if I didn't. What if I chose to do anything to save you?" He stares at the space between them. "I could have taken your Miraculous, and done what my father always wanted to do himself-"

"Please don't talk like that. You're not that man. You're not your father. You're Adrien," her tone softens, "my Chat Noir."

His body relaxes, the doubt slowly melting away from his mind, "Thanks. I'm sorry I spiraled."

"Don't apologize, I'll always be here for you, no matter what." She promises.

He takes a steadying breath, "Thanks. Now, how 'bout I clean out this pan for you?" He picks up the culprit pan, the bottom black with charred on food.

She exhales a silent sigh of relief, "Oh please do, I did quite a number on it."

As he turns towards the sink, he fills the pan with water, causing the still hot skillet to erupt with steam. Once it's mostly cooled, Adrien gets to work on it while Marinette finishes up the rest of dinner.

After a moment, he speaks up, "I was thinking of having Agreste Manor demolished." He says casually, but Mari can tell he means it.

"Really? I mean, it was your home. You really want it gone?" She confirms, stirring a pot of noodles slowly.

The Manor had sat mostly vacant the past decade or so. Adrien did live there after Gabriel was arrested, but was left empty after he really started running Agreste Fashion, his meetings, and at the time, Chloe, pretty much kept him out of Paris for years and years. Until he convinced Chloe to return to Paris for their wedding. The Manor was spruced up before their arrival, making as if he had never left. A feeling Adrien did not particularly like.

After he found Marinette again, they lived with her parents while her boutique was being rebuilt. Adrien preferred this to living in the cold corridors of the Manor. Her parents were more than welcoming to Adrien, as they always have been since his childhood. He helped in the bakery in his newly found time off, after delegating the abroad meetings to his close business partners.

Once the boutique and subsequent living quarters, situated on the floors above, were finished, the newly engaged couple moved in together with their hamster; happily living here ever since. And never once had Adrien looked back on the Manor.

"This is my home," he avows, "that was just a place I lived. The bakery felt more like home than that place." The pitch of him scraping the pan changes, putting more force behind it.

She turns off the stove and comes up behind him at the sink, running her hands down his arms, "Then I support you." She kisses his shoulder blade, "I just wanted to make sure that you're sure."

He runs the pan under the water and holds it up to show her it's spotless surface, "I am. I'm gonna make some calls in the morning."

~

Marinette bounces Felicity, the newest Lahiffe-Cesaire to join their weekly dinners. They rotated between their place and Lahiffe-Cesaire household on a weekly basis as a commitment to keep up with each other even in busy times. This week, they're at Nino and Alya's apartment.

Nino and Adrien are in the kitchen finishing up dinner while Alya and Marinette distract Manny, who has grown into a rambunctious toddler. They sit on the floor of the living room opposite Manny and a pile of various toys.

"I can't wait 'till our kids can play together," Alya smiles, "then we could be drinking with the guys in the kitchen and the kids can distract themselves." She rolls a kickball across the floor to Manny who rolls it back with more or less accuracy.

Felicity burbles in Mari's arms, "I know. I hope they're all friends and go to school together and always want to hang out when we want to too-" she stops herself, readjusting her arms. "Am I doing this right?"

Alya nods, "You're perfect, future-mama." She nabs the runaway ball before it gets too far, "And I know Manny is gonna be the best big brother to Felicity and baby-to-be," she rolls the ball to him, "isn't that right, honey?"

He grabs the ball with both hands as it rolls into his outstretched arms, "Mmhmm! I am the best broth-er." He beams, before his eyes widen, "Gotta pee!" He announces before running to the restroom around the corner and slamming the door.

They laugh, rousing the baby. Alya holds out her arms for Mari to transfer the fussing Felicity to her. She carefully does so, "I hope I'm as good as a mom as you." Mari compliments, leaning back against the couch.

"Don't strive for perfection like that, you'll only be disappointed." Alya jokes, calming Felicity. "But seriously, I know you'll be great, Adrien too." She adds, nudging her with her elbow.

"I hope so" she reiterates quietly. "You know Adrien visited his dad, right?"

Alya nods thoughtfully.

"I think he's afraid of turning into his dad, more than usual since the visit. And I know, and I've told him that could never happen, but he still worries."

"I would say everyone's afraid of turning into their parents," Alya notes, "But he definitely has a bigger shadow to avoid."

Mari sighs, "Exactly. And he wants to demolish his old home, he plans to; and just keeps trying to distance himself from his past as much as possible. And I'm not sure if that's the right thing to do."

"He wants a clean slate with you, is what it is." Alya justifies, "He probably doesn't want to raise a child in a world where the ghosts of his past are still around."

"Maybe." Mari lifts herself up onto the couch, stretching her stiff legs from sitting on the ground.

Alya follows suit, "If this is what he needs to do, I wouldn't worry about it." She shrugs.

She nods reluctantly, "I'm just afraid he'll make a mistake he'll regret later."

"Come and get it!" Nino calls from the kitchen, followed by the rapid pace of a toddler running from the bathroom.

They get up to join the others in the dining room, Alya looking to cut off her son's path, "Manny! Did you wash your hands, baby?"

~

A date was set. The iconic Manor would be bulldozed in three weeks' time, and that news spread fast. The press had their share of articles examining the history of the structure, having been home to three generations of Agreste since it's conception. All in all, stirring the scandal around Hawkmoth/Gabriel Agreste back into the forefront of Parisian minds.

The media following of Adrien and Marinette had only been on a decline since their wedding day, much to their relief. Besides obvious junctions like fashion shows, and the occasional photographer following them to the grocery store, they were able to keep themselves out of the tabloids and public's attention.

Now Adrien did his best to avoid news reporters and paparazzi shoving microphones in his direction wherever he goes. The day he and Marinette had to go down to oversee the Manor getting cleaned out of all its dressings was the worst, like the press knew what they were up to. It didn't help when the attention turned on Mari and the obvious four-months-sized baby bump forming under her blouse.

Once safely inside the gates of Agreste Manor, they pull up next to the large moving truck parked in front of the door. They let out a pent-up breath, but still keep their heads ducked until they're well within the foyer of the Manor.

The movers were already at work upon their arrival, having been given instructions to start by removing all of Gabriel's remaining possessions and to put them in the donation truck. A handful of men are carrying Gabriel's bed down the stairs, struggling to get a good hold on the frame. Adrien rushes to their aid, helping to shoulder some of the weight.

"Careful, guys!" Marinette calls, "There's no need to rush, take it slow" she advises, her own back aching just looking at them.

"Mari," Adrien grunts, "I think my phones slipping out of my back pocket, can you grab it?"

She rushes to his side as they reach the first landing beneath the portrait of Gabriel and Adrien as a teenager. She plucks the phone from his back pocket right as it's about to pop out.

"I'll meet you in my room." He nods as the group starts heading down the last set of steps.

"Alright. You guys sure you got that?" She offers, putting Adrien's phone in her purse.

Shaking his head, he gestures with his chin up the stairs, "Yep. I'll be up in a few." He insists.

She smirks, "Okay, don't complain to me tomorrow when your back hurts" she teases before heading to his room.

Heading up and around the corner, she steps into Adrien's childhood room. Dust hangs in the air, highlighted by the morning rays of sunlight streaming in through the windows.

She plops down on the white couch overlooking the city below, fanning herself with her hand. The image of Adrien climbing in and out these windows as Chat Noir, for years, brings a smile to her face. On the surface, he was escaping every little boy's dream room. Space to play basketball, rock climb, and play all the newest video games, she could imagine some boys who would never want to leave this place. But that's all Adrien ever wanted to do.

This was his prison.

All the bright and shiny toys and games were meant to keep him self-entertained. No need to leave the house when you've got all this at home. What's there to complain about when you have everything every kid ever wanted? Right?

She realizes she's glad Adrien is Chat Noir, not only because she fell for both halves of him, but because he deserved it. Chat Noir was his way out of this life he was trapped in. Maybe she would have been easier on him as Ladybug knowing what Chat was escaping to be with her every night and for every fight.

The buzzing of a cell phone shakes her from her train of thought. She reaches into her bag, finding its Adrien's phone that's ringing. As partners in Dupain-Cheng-Agreste Fashion, she often picked up business calls for him. She answers, "Hello, this is Mrs. Dupain-Cheng-Agreste speaking."

"Hello Mrs. Agreste" a woman's voice speaks in an official tone. "This is La Santé Prison calling with an outgoing call from Mr. Gabriel Agreste. Do you accept the call?" She prompts.

A tremble runs through her hand, "I-I should get my husband," she insists, standing from the couch.

The woman on the other end sighs, "Do you accept the call?" She repeats, losing a bit of her superficial professionalism.

Mari freezes in place, "Uh, uh, yes." She responds, followed by a click on the other end of her being transferred.

"Adrien?"

His voice immediately sends her back to her childhood, back to when she looked to him as a role model, watching every interview and appearance. Memories that were only complicated by everything that happened since then.

"Adrien?" He asks with a bit more force.

She shakes her head, "Uh, sorry, this is Marinette, his wife. He can't make it to the phone at the moment." She explains, trying to keep her voice level, her eyes darting to the door hoping Adrien just comes walking in.

She hears him click his tongue, "Ah, yes, well you'll have to do." He resigns, making her feel like he meant it in more ways than one. "I've gotten word that Adrien plans to demolish my home."

"It's his home, legally," she interjects out of pride, "he can do whatever he wants with it."

Gabriel scoffs, "That's not why I'm calling. There's something you must know before you level the premises, something Adrien doesn't know about." He warns.

Mari's mouth hangs open, not sure of his intentions "Is this a trick? Why are you really calling now? You don't attempt to contact Adrien for over a decade with no explanation and now all of a sudden you're upsetting him after he goes to see you and now-"

"It's his mother." He interjects, having no time nor the want to listen to Marinette scold him.

She falls back into her seat on the couch, "His mother? W-what about her?" She asks, still skeptical.

He sighs, "She...is still on the premises."

Her mouth hangs agape, "Wha-what, what do you mean?" she stammers, no longer able to keep up appearances. "She was, she is, missing, what do you mean she's here?"

Gabriel continues, "There's a hidden elevator in my office that will lead you to her" he says solemnly, "I'm running out of time. Don't let anything happen to her." He warns before he cuts out.

"Your session has ended. Thank you. Goodbye." An automated voice says before the line hangs up.

She's still sitting there with the phone to her ear when Adrien walks in, "Did I miss a call? Was it Theresa? I told her I would return her call at 3." He looks at his watch as he crosses in front of Mari, catching the disturbed look on her face. He immediately kneels down next her, "Is something wrong?" His fingertips graze her baby bump, fearing the worst.

She robotically hands him his phone, "It was your father." She reports.

Adrien handles his phone like it's been violated. "Why? What did he say to you?" He says with a slight edge in his voice, worried his father said something to her that he would make him regret.

She holds his hand firmly, her eyes unfocused, "He said, he said your mother is here, that she's 'still on the premises'."

Unblinking, he stares at the phone, "'Here', as in, in this house?" She nods. "Is this some scheme, some joke to keep us from tearing this place apart?" He asks in a strained tone, getting up suddenly to start pacing the room.

She gets up and touches his shoulder to make him stop, "We can't be sure unless we check... He said there's a hidden elevator in his office. It will lead us to...your mother." She says solemnly, unsure of what state they will find her in, if they find her at all.

"His office?" He stalks out of the room, "Plagg," he calls out his Kwami who is usually hovering out of sight.

He drops in from above, "Come on, I was just showing Tikki my favorite spot in your rafters." He chides.

"Sorry, but I need you to go into my father's office and see if you can find any secret paneling, a hidden elevator." He requests, stalking down the stairs, followed closely by Marinette who has been joined by Tikki.

He shrugs, "I'll try," he zooms ahead, taking a straight shot from them to the office, passing through the walls.

Marinette turns to her own Kwami, "Would you mind helping Plagg out?"

"No problem!" She squeaks, following Plaggs path through the house.

Mari catches up to Adrien by the last step where he's paused, staring at the office doors he was rarely allowed behind. "I hope they don't find anything. I hope he's lying." He sighs, "But I also want to know what happened to my mom, for better or worse."

She holds his hand, running her thumb over the back of his palm soothingly. "We'll get to the bottom of this one way or another. Come on," she encourages softly, leading them to the intimidating set of doors on the side of the foyer.

Adrien goes ahead and opens the doors. The sparse furniture is all still in place, but is covered with a dust tarp and has been covered since Gabriel was imprisoned. His heart twinges at the sight of the large, dusty golden framed collage of photos of him ranging from age 10 to 18. He tries to ignore the deepening resentment present in the eyes of his past selves as the years go by. Marinette probably wouldn't be able to notice the change in his eyes from the pictures, but he does.

"Over here!" Tikki calls from the far side of the room.

The painting of Emilie Agreste in her abstract golden gown looms above them all. Adrien silently wonders what to do with the 15-foot-tall painting of his mother when the time comes to demolish the house. It felt wrong to get rid of it, but there was no place for it in his current home with Mari.

"Got it!" Plagg says confidently as something sparks within the painting. A circular hole is revealed in the floor in front of the painting.

Adrien and Marinette approach cautiously, looking down into the unlit elevator shaft.

"One route leads up to an empty chamber overlooking the city," Tikki explains, "the other leads deep underground. I didn't follow it all the way, but I think that's where we need to go."

"How are we going to get down there?" Adrien wonders aloud, not seeing any platform for them to step onto.

Marinette turns to Tikki, "If I transform, it won't affect anything, right?" She caresses her baby bump.

"I promise it won't." Tikki swears, "But what about-"

"Then I'll repel us down using my yo-yo." She decides, "Sound good?"

Adrien nods, "I'll transform too, just in case." He states.

"Sweet," Plagg cheers, "as much as I love domestic bliss and all the camembert I can eat, I miss this." He flies around Adrien's head.

He chuckles, "In that case, Plagg, claws out!"

"Tikki, spots on!"

In a flash, they stand in their corresponding super suits. Ladybug's skin-tight suit accentuated her growing baby bump. "Oh geez. We better lock the door so none of the moving guys come in here. I think they'd draw a few conclusions if they saw us." She realizes, starting to anchor the end of her yo-yo to a nearby structure.

"Good call." Chat makes quick work of the office door, double checking so they don't receive any surprise company, and also shutting the curtains around the room. He returns to her side where she has already swung her legs over the side of the elevator shaft, sitting on the edge. "You sure you can do this? It's a long way down." He remarks, sitting next to her.

She tugs on the yo-yo string, "Do you know how many times I've caught you from falling off the Eiffel Tower? And then lowered us down to the ground?" She smiles to herself, "Too many. This shouldn't be hard." She lowers herself into the hole, pushing off the side with her feet. "Get on my back." She instructs, reaching up a hand to help him down.

"If you insist, M'lady," He slides into the hole and latches onto her back, kissing her behind her left ear before taking out his baton and activating it as a light source, giving the tunnel around them a dim green glow. "Let me know if you need a break and I can support myself by extending my baton against the sides." He informs her.

She shrugs and starts to repel them down, "I've got superhero strength, Kitty, remember? It feels like I'm giving Manny a piggyback ride." She assures him.

The trip down the elevator shaft was longer than they expected. After repelling for 5 minutes, Ladybug picks up the pace, deciding to be a little less cautious for the sake of time. They pass a fork in the road, the one Tikki had mentioned leading up to the empty lair. Hoping that was a halfway point, they keep travelling down.

The air becomes heavier, either from their depth or just the feeling of something hanging in the air. It gave both of them goosebumps when combined with the echoing silence and endless void surrounding their comparatively small aura of light from Chat's staff.

So when Ladybug's feet finally touch solid ground, she yelps from the surprise.

Chat climbs off her back, venturing into what they could assume was a large hollow bunker, based off the way their footsteps echoed around the room. Ladybug leaves her yo-yo dangling as a way out, stepping behind Chat, "What is this place? It's so hot" she whispers, but even that seems to bounce off the walls and ceiling hidden behind the curtain of darkness beyond their bubble of light. She wipes a bead of sweat from her forehead.

"I...don't know." He takes a step forward and a loud clank reverberates across the room, as if a switch has been triggered. He reaches back and puts an arm around her as lights flicker on one at a time. A metallic runway hums from the lights illuminating it from beneath, to varying degrees of success. Some lights creep their way up to full brightness, only to turn dark and be forced to make the effort again, while others are jittery, flickering on and off as they please.

Once their eyes adjust, they confirm their suspicions on the vastness of the room they're in. The ceiling is 50 feet high, arching down to create the rounded walls that are equally as wide. A 5-foot-wide runway spans the length of the bunker, which is probably 1000 feet long, leading to another landing.

"After you, then." Ladybug urges lightheartedly, gesturing towards the bridge-like catwalk.

He readies his staff defensively, "Can't turn back now, I suppose."

She follows him. The bridge creaks, sediment of some kind flakes off and lands on the surface of the water far below them. Again, their pace quickens as they become more comfortable with the thought that the metal won't rust away beneath their next step.

The far landing becomes more and more in focus with each step, the green hue of vegetation becoming apparent first.

Some of the more delicate plants, like the rose bushes and lillys, had long perished, becoming nearly indistinguishable as the suffocating vines overtook nearly everything, including a white casket situated in the center.

The heroes approach slowly, wondering if something might leap out of the vines at them. But their attention is quickly overtaken by the casket, the vines obscuring a glass front which would be used to look inside.

"'She's still on the premises'..." he whispers incredulously, "She was never missing. She's been here, under my feet, my whole life." He falls to his hands and knees, his head hanging, unable to conjure up any tears as his mind goes into shock.

Ladybug kneels down and wraps her arms around his shoulders, "I'm sorry your father kept this from you." She whispers, tears of her own accumulating from seeing him go through this.

After a moment, he sits up and uses his claws to de-vine the casket. Ladybug rises to her feet and pushes them away, allowing herself a tentative peek inside the glass front panel of the casket. Her breath catches in her throat, "Ad-rien... she's, she's breathing...".

He scrambles to his feet, eyes wide at the sight of his mother lying beneath the glass as if she were asleep, "Mom...?"

~

One Lucky Charm later, the casket is on the ground level, Mrs. Agreste lay under the portrait of herself in Gabriel's office. Marinette and Adrien quickly realized the casket was more than it seems. It was a self-regulating chamber that sustained Emilie under the glass.

Adrien stays by his mother's side as Marinette calls '112' on her cell, simply prompting that they need an ambulance sent to Agreste Manor ASAP.

To Adrien, the wait feels like forever, worried as if he's about to watch his mother wither away to nothing right before his eyes.

Marinette sends the moving crew home for the day, their truck pulling away just as the ambulance turns the corner into their driveway. The crowd of reporters, still outside the gates, are reinvigorated by this sight, many immediately reporting their speculations as to why the ambulance was called.

Mari leads the paramedics into Gabriel's office, while quickly, and vaguely, explaining the situation. By the time they reach Adrien and see the famously-lost Emilie Agreste, comatose in a glass casket, the trio of paramedics all have the same expression : shock and confusion.

But their training quickly overcomes these feelings as they lift the whole apparatus onto a gurney, with some help from Adrien, and roll her out to the ambulance waiting outside. The press definitely catch on that a coffin of sorts is being removed from the Agreste estate, sending them into a near frenzy, pressing themselves up against the gate.

The paramedics inform Adrien and Marinette that they will be contacting them once they are able to fully assess the situation at the hospital. They nod numbly in response, allowing them to drive away, siren blaring while honking their horn to get the paparazzi to move out of the way.

Marinette guides Adrien back inside before they get any more photos taken of them.

~

"Another visit? Already? It hasn't even been 10 years." Gabriel chides as he sits in his seat behind the bullet proof glass opposite Adrien.

"Tell me why mom was in that chamber under the house." Adrien spoke plainly, to the point, not wanting to fall into his Father's mind games again.

Gabriel leans back in his chair, "Ah yes, I did predict that you'd have questions about that. It's quite the harrowing story really. One I'm not inclined to share at the moment." He smirks.

Adrien's jaw sets, "Everyone knows you put her down there, there's no use in denying that part, not after that call you had with Marinette. I- we, just want to know how, and why. I think you owe me at least that."

He seems to consider this briefly, his eyes narrowing, "No, I don't think I do." He says, shaking his head slightly. "But maybe if you used those manners I tried so hard to instill in you?"

Adrien shuts his eyes tightly in frustration, "Please, father..." he says with disdain, "tell me what happened to mom."

A small, satisfied smile curls on his lip, "How much do you know about magical items called the Miraculous?"

He holds his tongue, "You used one to become Hawkmoth."

"Indeed. Mine was one of many relics that could grant power to its user. Your mother was the one who introduced me to these items." He states calmly, watching Adrien's reaction.

"She did?" Adrien asks, unable to hide his touch of disbelief.

Gabriel nods, "Besides being a gifted actress, she had a scholarly side when it came to topics of interest. She had stumbled across a text on the Miraculous during an adjacent reading she was doing. This led her down a path that she became bound by.

"You were just a baby when she convinced me to travel with her to a place she believed was the location of some Miraculous relics. We left you with the nanny and we set off for the Tibetan jungles; a far throw from our usual resort accommodations, but I trusted her. It was like an itch she couldn't scratch until she had proof or at least some answers.

"Of course her brilliance led us right to the long-lost Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous, left forgotten in an ancient temple. She gave me the Butterfly Miraculous to hold on to, being the Peacock one was seemingly damaged from battle. She wanted time with it, to see if she could fix it. I built her the cavern under the house so she could focus on her work in peace.

"For years they were nothing more than trinkets, until Emilie located the Miraculous Grimoire. She had it flown in, and presented it to me on our anniversary. She said, we would finally be able to know if the magic of the Miraculous was real."

A pit was growing in Adrien's stomach.

"After you were put to bed, we donned our Miraculous under the house. Emilie translated the incantation needed to activate them. I recited it, turning into Hawkmoth for the first time. Your mother turned into a version of Mayura. But it was a short-lived celebration. The damages of the Peacock Miraculous bled into her transformation and her soul.

"I forbade her from transforming ever again. But she was stubborn, wanting to unlock all the secrets that her Miraculous held. I could always tell in the morning when she had transformed the previous night while I was sleeping. She hid it well from the public, from you, but behind closed doors she was sick.

"And one day, she never came back to bed." Gabriel's face had visibly softened over the course of his story, his shoulders just slightly slouched. "I found her unconscious in her chamber under the house, clinging to life. We knew that no physician could help us or understand her maladies. So I set her up as you found her, hoping that one day she may wake, but it was never the case."

"And that's why you became Hawkmoth." Adrien states with an understanding tone.

He nods, "I picked up where her research left off, discovering that the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous, when combined, give one the power to change reality. I couldn't afford to travel the world in search of these other Miraculous, but I quickly realized that I could draw them out of hiding by becoming Hawkmoth."

A silence hangs in the air, both of them mentally filling in the rest of the story from their point of view...

"You swear that's the truth?" Adrien utters.

Gabriel nods, "I've only told you the truth, in hopes you can truly understand me, and that your mother can't be saved without those Miraculous."

~

"Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng-Agreste, do come in." Dr. Langly waves the couple into this office. "I know you two are busy."

Marinette and Adrien file in and take a seat in the small but neat office at the hospital. It had been a week since their discovery and Emilie had been undergoing various tests and checks in order for the doctors to try and get an idea of the strange situation. "We were awaiting your call." Is all Adrien responds with.

"We know you're one of the best doctors in France," Marinette compliments, "we're glad you've taken interest in our case."

He nods, "Well it has caught my interest, along with everyone else in Paris. It's not every day missing people, let alone Emilie Agreste, reappear in such an unusual manner."

"And what have you found out?" Adrien prompts.

The doctor clears his throat, "Right. Upon first appearances it does indeed seem like she is in a comatose state, but by what means is unclear. There seems to be no trace of physical trauma or other factors that could have led to this. In all honesty, based on what we can see, there is no reason she should be in this state."

Adrien's jaw tightens as the doctor confirms what his father had explained. "Is there anything that can be done?" He presses.

Dr. Langly's face deepens, "It is rare to have patients who have been in a coma for such an extended amount of time. We can keep her here for as long as you want in hopes she wakes up naturally; but, my professional advice is that... you let her rest."

Marinette squeezes Adrien's hand, her eyes never leaving his face. He seemed distant, processing the world on a moment by moment basis. "You wanted to go see her, right, hon?" She coaxes her way into his thoughts, letting him catch up in his own time. She turns to the doctor, "Would that be alright?" She asks patiently.

He nods, "Ah, yes. I can walk you over myself."

The two linger behind the doctor, leaving a breadth so they can talk. "It's like your father said. They don't know what's wrong with her." She whispers to him as their shoes tap along the pristine tile floor.

He nods, his body stiffened by the sight of the endless and winding white walls leading him to his mother.

They soon enter a private room where the only break from the cold vibes of the room were the carpet-bag patterned curtains and matching wooden chairs.

Emilie lay in the center of the room, just as peaceful looking as she had been found, but now she wore a hospital gown and was tucked under a thinly knit cerulean colored blanket.

The doctor took his place on the opposite side of the bed, "So, again, we can keep her comfortable as long as you want, if that's your decision; we'd move her to the long-term care wing and she'd be well taken care of. And the other option would be available at any time. We'd just need a decision on if she needs to be moved or not within the next week or so, or whenever is convenient." He tries to accommodate, not used to working with clients who were recently front-page news.

Adrien's eyes are locked onto his mother, barely registering the man's words. Mari mouths a "thanks" as the doctor excuses himself from the room.

Marinette guides Adrien over to the one chair in the room, already placed at the side of the bed. She rubs his shoulder soothingly.

It was different seeing her outside the glass casket. Behind the glass, she more closely resembled something from a forgotten fairytale. Finding her under his old house didn't feel real, but it definitely did now.

His voice cracks, "H-hi mom, it's me. Adrien. You may not recognize my voice," his breath catches, "because it's been so long since I've talked to you, in person." He sniffles, quickly rubbing his nose with the side of his sleeve. "I, uh, run Agreste Fashion now, well, part of it is Dupain-Cheng-Agreste Fashion which I run with my wife. Oh, I'm married. She's here with me," he nods towards Mari.

"H-hi Mrs. Agreste, I'm Marinette. I just want to let you know that Adrien is wonderful, and he's grown up to be a good man that I love." She recites, having thought about this moment over and over again the past few days.

"And we're pregnant." Adrien adds with a hint of dimmed enthusiasm, unable to fit the tone of the room. "You're a grandma, basically. I just wanted you to know that I wish you were here to experience this with us..." he tentatively reaches out to hold his mother's hand, her hand laying softly in his, "I just miss you so much,"

~

They arrive home in silence, physically and mentally exhausted from the hospital. Adrien drops his keys into the bowl by the front door. Marinette leans on the wall, taking deep breaths. "Are you okay?"

She waves her hand, dismissing him, "I just need to sit down, don't worry about me. You were very strong today, by the way." She slips off her shoes and makes her way to the couch in the next room.

He follows her diligently, holding her hand from her seated position on the couch, "Thanks, but I don't want to talk about it tonight, if that's okay." He says soberly. She nods understandingly.

He closes his eyes, mentally switching avenues, "I snagged something the other day from the Manor after I went to confront my father. I honestly forgot about it until my father brought it up; but it's real home definitely is here with you, Great Guardian." He manages a little smile as he pulls the Miraculous Grimoire off the bookshelf in their living room. He lays it in her lap, "It's all written in some kind of code though."

"Oh, I remember this thing," she runs her hand over the embossed cover, smiling to herself at the memory.

"You've...seen this book before?"

She nods, "I... well, Tikki and I took it from you one day at school because she said it was supposed to belong to the Guardian and we had to return it to him."

He cracks a smile, "And then my father threatened to take me out of public school?" He confirms the memory, sitting down and putting an arm around her.

"Yeah, but I couldn't let that happen, because I had a bit of a crush on you," she leans into him, "so I convinced Master Fu to let me return it."

"Well, I'm glad you did, even if you didn't know you were putting it right into Hawkmoth's hands." He chides.

She dips her head, "Hindsight, and all that. Plus if you never came back to school, I wasn't going to be able to stare at you all day like I normally did." She kisses his cheek.

"In a non-creepy way, I'm hoping?" He snickers.

She shakes her head, scrunching up her nose and smirking, "Nope, in a totally creepy way, definitely."

They laugh together, a cathartic release from this unimaginable week they've had.

"It couldn't have been too creepy if I didn't notice," he adds.

Mari cracks open the book absentmindedly, "I think that's what made it-" her eyes lock on the page, "-creepy."

He follows her gaze, "Hey, who's that cutie?", he comments on an early form of Ladybug drawn on the page.

Her eyes scan the page frantically, "I...can read it."

Adrien does a double take between her and the page. "Like, you see words? You understand it?"

She nods, turning to different pages and seeing the same effect. The symbols on the page shift before her eyes, becoming French script.

"It must be your Guardian powers or something," he looks at her in awe.

Entranced, she quickly searches the book for a particular page, "'Ultimate Power'" she reads, "'Ultimate Miraculous Power can be achieved when the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous are fused by the wielder, and a single wish, a Miracle Wish, may be granted, able to alter reality itself.'"

"That's what my father said, it's how he planned to bring mom back."

She keeps reading as if she didn't hear him, "'But the cost of the wish is a required equal payment to the universe. For example, a wish to become human would result in someone losing their humanity.'" Her eyes grow wide, gripping the sides of the book.

He shakes his head, "Father neglected to mention that part."

"Of course he did. But for a man who plagued Paris for a decade, the 'price' was probably an afterthought," her voice lowers, her body swaying slightly at the sight of the book.

Adrien notices this and closes the Grimoire, pulling it to the other side of the seat. Her hands clench as if still trying to hold onto the book that wasn't on her lap anymore. "I think that's enough for tonight," he cautions, holding the back of his hand to her cheek, feeling how warm she's grown. "Let's get you to bed." He stands up and holds out his hand.

She blinks hard a few times, taking some deep breaths, "Right. Yeah, that sounds nice."

~

Their alarm blares at 9am the next morning. Adrien inhales deeply, stretching under the sheets, but is caught off guard when the alarm isn't shut off promptly like it normally is when it's on Marinette's side of the bed.

He rolls over in their bed, "Mari, I know you don't want to get up, but at least turn that thing off,"

She's on her side, facing away from him, when he goes to put an arm around her shoulders. As his skin contacts hers, he immediately throws back the blankets, feeling her burning up. He gets up on his knees and coaxes her onto her back. Her bangs are plastered to her forehead from sweat and she has her arms wrapped around her abdomen. Her lips move, "I think, it's a cold mixed with allergies, don't worry," she says hoarsely, keeping her eyes closed. "I felt it coming a week ago," she dismisses.

He feels her cheek and forehead, finding she's hotter than the previous night. "What do you mean? I'm going to find our thermometer." He jumps out of bed and rummages through their night stand.

She shakes her head, "I-I just need some water," a dry cough escaping between her words, "I'm fine." She insists, swinging her legs out of bed and onto the floor. She gasps as she tries to stand, a shooting pain ripping through the right side of her waist. "Aghhn-!" she grunts, bracing herself against the mattress as she sits back onto its surface.

"Mari!" Adrien snatches the thermometer and runs to her side. He sets the thermometer to take her temperature, "Is this happening because of the Grimoire? From using your Guardian Powers?" Her temperature reads 102F (38C), and his heart drops. "Let's get you checked out." He says in a low, wavering voice before scooping her up into his arms.

She doesn't fight him anymore, realizing something is seriously wrong. She wraps an arm around his shoulders, "It wasn't the Grimoire" she mumbles, "I said I felt this coming...kinda. I didn't think it was anything."

She winces as he sets her down carefully on the living room sofa so he can put on his shoes and hers. "W-when did you start thinking something was wrong?" He asks in a level tone, just needing answers.

"The night I set off the smoke alarms..." she admits. "I felt dizzy and had to sit down because my right side was cramping. That's why I didn't see the food burning in time". He zips up the boots he slid onto her feet before picking her up again. "I know I should have told you or asked our doctor, but I thought I was overreacting, I thought it was normal." She shakes her head at her past self, tearing up a bit.

"That doesn't matter now," he assures her, bringing her into the hall and stepping into the elevator to bring them down. "You just need to stay with me."

Still dressed in their pajamas, Adrien in P.J. pants and a white undershirt and Mari in a pink patterned set, they get into their car as the sun just starts to shine down over the rooftops of Paris.

~

In a flurry of action, Marinette is wheeled off to an examination room to the tune of muffled camera shutters going off in the parking lot. Adrien follows closely behind.

After a few physical tests and questions, the nurse says formally, "We think your appendix may have ruptured, combined with a torn membrane which could have gotten severely infected. We'll need to run more tests to confirm your situation. You'll have to remove your jewelry and other metals from your person." The nurse informs, "Change into a gown and I'll be back to take you for the test." She dismisses herself, leaving them alone.

Marinette's heart beats hard in her chest, paralyzed with fear as Adrien helps her change out of her pajamas into the cloth gown. "I can't believe this is happening," she whispers, silent tears streaming down her face, "what does this mean, what's going to happen?" she frets, eyes closed as she curls up on the cold mattress.

Adrien sits down behind her, trying to hold in his own panicked tone, "W-we don't know for sure if it's bad. Maybe it's a routine issue." He leans down and holds her against his chest, closing his eyes.

She doesn't respond, she only reaches up to remove her Miraculous and holds them out for him, "Keep them safe,"

~

A nurse passes by the doorway to the room, seeing Adrien pacing back and forth. He pokes his head in, "Are you okay sir? Can I get you anything?"

"I'm just waiting for my wife to come back from getting some exams done."

A concerned look comes across his face, "Marinette Agreste, right?" He pulls a file off the main desk in the hall, and reads "She was rushed into surgery in the middle of the exam because she started crashing." He regretfully informs. "I'm sorry no one told you."

He feels his heart stop, all his nerves firing at once.

He tells his feet to move, forcing his way past the nurse, "I need to see her." He says defiantly.

The nurse grabs his shoulder, "She's already being taken care of, there's nothing you can do, and you can't see her while they're operating." He says regretfully.

Adrien squeezes his eyes shut, holding back his instinct to find Marinette no matter what. His shoulders ease a tad, "Just, can you tell me if she'll be okay? Is this a normal procedure?" He maintains his composure.

The nurse guides Adrien to the side of the hall, so as to not block the walkway, before dropping his hand from Adrien. He scans over the rest of Marinette's chart, his face growing more remorseful, "The infection had spread further than expected, into her blood most likely. Along with everything else, she probably has a 50/50 chance of her and the baby getting through this operation."

Blurry eyed, Adrien storms down the hall without another word.

"Wait, Mr. Agreste, I said you can't see her!" The nurse calls out but doesn't have the heart to follow.

But Adrien wasn't heading towards the operating ward.

His left hand reaches into his pocket and plucks the Ladybug Miraculous from inside. He palms them as he speed walks into his mom's room and locks the door behind him, pulling a curtain over any of the windows looking in.

Plagg emerges frantically, "Adrien, bud, let's keep it together, no need to do anything rash,"

Adrien simply answers with the look of a broken soul-ed man, his jaw trembling from his shallow breaths. "P-Plagg...claws out."

"Don't do iiiit-" Plagg warns as he's sucked into Adrien's ring, causing the black leather suit of Chat Noir to materialize.

He stares at the Ladybug earrings in his left hand, his palm tingling from just their proximity to the Cat Miraculous on his other hand.

He looks to his mother, her peaceful expression sending a shiver up his spine.

Trying to shake away the feeling, his eyes return to the Miraculous. His hand shakes as he rolls the earrings into the palm of his right hand. His ring glows green and the earrings light up red in turn. "Plagg, Tikki...unify." He declares softly, squeezing his hand tightly over the earrings.

A blinding white light fills the room, causing him to stagger back against the wall. His right arm stiffens as if he's being electrocuted, unable to drop the Ladybug Miraculous even if he wanted to. Even with his eyes closed against the light he can feel his suit changing, and even a feeling of weightlessness come over him.

When the light finally fades, he gasps for air, realizing he had been holding his breath the entire time. Looking down, he sees his suit has changed to a royal violet color, with glowing golden vines running through his core and down his extremities. "Oh my god," he says under his breath, feeling the power coursing through his veins.

He looks to his unmoved mother, ashamed he's using the wish to save Marinette, "I'm sorry, mom," he picks up her hand and holds it between both of his, "I'm sorry."

Then, a whisper starts tickling the back of his mind, "Adrien...Adrien...", growing louder with each turn.

"Wha-" he's barely able to mouth before he feels like he's falling, like taking the first dive on a rollercoaster.

When the feeling passes, he looks up to find himself in the backyard of the Manor, next to the statue of his mother. He's dressed in a white button down and slacks, any sign of the Miraculous are gone. It feels real, except for the colorless sky, completely white from horizon to horizon.

"Adrien..." A familiar voice drifts in behind him.

He spins around and comes face to face with his mother.

Speechless, he backs up against the perimeter wall as Emilie slowly approaches him with an outstretched hand. "Look at you, it's really you, isn't it?" She dares to smile for what seems like the first time in a long time, with it flickering on her lips.

He nods automatically, simply responding to his mother's voice which he hasn't heard outside of her movies, which never quite captured the real velvet tones in her voice, "What's going on?" Adrien asks.

She cautiously caresses his cheek with the back of her hand, "You tell me; even though, I have my theories." She laughs gently, her eyes never leaving his face.

"And what are your theories?" He pursues that line of thought, unable to come up with any of his own at the moment.

She guides him to the bench a few steps away, "That you have the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous, and right now in the conscious world, your body is filled with incredible power, that also helped me reach out to you, and I think a part of you also wanted to."

Taken aback, he becomes skeptical, "How do you know that?"

She sighs, finally looking away, "I can still hear things while in this...state. I think I know more than you think, dear." Her voice becomes hollow, lonely.

"So you know about father, and what he did?" He asks.

She nods, "That he abused the Butterfly Miraculous, akumatizing Paris to try and get those Miraculous that you are now holding? Yes, I know." A hint of disgust rises in her voice.

His heart rises into this throat, "So it's true; you really do know about the Miraculous, and found the Butterfly and the Peacock Miraculous to study them. You found the Grimoire. But the Peacock one was damaged, and it led you-"

"Here." She finishes for him, "My own personal limbo." She holds his hand in her lap, "The power of the Miraculous can be addicting when you're not chosen by The Guardian. I knew that going in, but I didn't take it seriously enough, and neither did your father once I was gone.

"It's my fault I missed the rest of your childhood, that I couldn't be at your graduation or your wedding, or will get to meet your child." She takes a shaky breath, "I'm sorry I left you." She squeezes his hand.

Adrien leans over and envelops her in a hug, feeling as if he's a kid again for a brief moment. She wraps both her arms around her son, tears streaming down her cheeks. "It's not your fault. I love you." He sniffles, his own tears free falling. "I turned out okay, I think." He tries to joke.

She chuckles, "You're perfect as far as I'm concerned, dear."

After the moment passes, they mutually straighten up; Emilie wiping her tears, as well as Adrien's, away. "I do have one concern, Adrien," She clears her throat, returning to a classic motherly tone, "you were going to ask for a Miracle Wish, weren't you? How did you even get those Miraculous when your father couldn't?"

He looks down between them, "Well, I'm Chat Noir, actually." He admits, peeking up to see his mom's reaction which is a mix of surprise and astonishment.

"You were chosen by The Guardian?" She asks with genuine curiosity.

"Yep."

"And your father used Akumas to fight against you and Ladybug? You could have gotten hurt, or worse! Does he know now?" She questions, her voice filled with retroactive concern.

"No, father still doesn't know it was me all along."

She considers this for a moment, "Best to keep it that way. And so Ladybug lent you her Miraculous for this?"

A sad smile crosses his lips, "Ladybug is my wife, Marinette, actually." He adds, unable to keep any secrets from her.

Emilie's eyes widen, "So it's true what the Grimoire says, that Ladybugs and Chat Noirs are bound by their souls to each other. Soul mates." She grins, "I'm so glad you get to have that."

The phrase 'soul mates' echoes in his mind. He never thought of their relationship that way, feeling more like star-crossed-lovers than anything else. But he knew it to be true, that their fates and lives were destined to intertwine and end with them in each other's arms.

"That's why I'm here, why I'm using her Miraculous." He says grimly, catching Emilie off guard. "She's sick, and she has a 50/50 chance of getting through it. We've already been through so much, I just need one guarantee in our lives, for once!" He fumes, standing up abruptly and starting to pace.

"So you want to use the Miracle Wish." She states knowingly. She rises to block his pacing, holding him by the shoulders, "What about the price? There's an equal exchange that the universe will make you pay." She warns.

"I know! And I'm willing to live with that to save Marinette and our baby." He tells her, as much as he tells himself.

She shakes her head, "No, you can't, you can't live with that decision. I don't want that for you, I didn't even want it for your father." Her grip on him is steady, "You said she has a chance, and you have to believe that she'll make it through because that's all you can do, without breaking the laws of nature or, more importantly, your humanity.

"I know nothing is certain in life, but you have to trust that things happen for a reason. And who are we to tip that scale?" She says firmly, obviously having a lot of time to think about this over the years.

He looks away, "But it's like you said, we're soulmates. How can I go on without her by my side?"

"You grew up to be a great man without me, Adrien. Let me give you one last piece of motherly advice. Everyone is asked to do impossible things, to live through impossible circumstances. It's how we react and manage ourselves in those situations that define us. I want you to be braver than your father, and stronger than I was, please." She grasps his hands.

Adrien's whole frame softens, "Thanks, mom." He pulls her into a hug, "And just so you know, I was never really without you." He wipes a tear from her cheek.

She leans in, stroking the back of his head gently, "Then I think it's time for you to let me go. Let me move on from his place."

His breath catches in his throat, "But what if I lose you and Marinette?" He holds her a bit tighter.

She sighs, a sad comforting smile on her face, "Then you'll have to find your path through the dark. And like you said, you'll never actually be without us. Those you love will always be with you."

He sniffles, giving a single semi-confident nod, "I know."

She leans in, "I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodbye to you before I 'disappeared'" She says softly.

"Me too." He replies soberly. The world starts shifting around him, fading and growing dimmer, as he feels like a rubber band is pulling him upward. "Bye mom," he sniffles, feeling himself slipping away.

"Goodbye, Adrien. I love you." She kisses his temple, "I'm so proud of you."

"I love you too"

The world fades to black just before his eyes snap open back in the hospital beside his comatose mother.

"Divide!" He says sharply, shaking off his transformation to turn him back into Adrien. The sudden absence of Ultimate Power makes him lightheaded; he collapses back into a chair. His heart practically vibrates in his chest, he tries to take even breaths, getting it back down to a normal rate.

His head whips up when the swift sound of the curtain in front of the door is drawn back by a concerned nurse. "Is everything alright in here?" She asks.

He nods, buying himself time to form a coherent thought, "Yes, yeah, sorry, I just needed some privacy with my mom."

"I understand." She turns to leave.

"Wait,"

She turns back to the disheveled Adrien, still in his pajamas.

"Can you tell Dr. Langly we've come to a decision? That-that my mom is ready to move on, I mean, that we've decided it would be best to let her go." His mouth goes dry at the words, but knows it's how things should be.

A sympathetic look crosses her face, "I'll let him know."

"Thank you. Can you also show me how to get back to my wife's room so I can wait for her?" His throat tightens knowing her life still hangs in the balance of fate, something he's decided is not up to him.

"Of course, follow me."

~

The rest of his wait is agonizing. When he wasn't calling friends and family to inform them of the situation, which he knew he had a duty to do, he stared longingly at the empty bed.

The Ladybug Miraculous seemed ever present in his front pocket, a constant reminder of the easy way out.

"Plagg?" he says under his breath. His head hangs in his hands, exhaustion of every type catching up with him as the sun starts its descent over Paris.

Plagg peeks out, floating beside Adrien's shoes to keep out of sight, "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry I almost used the Miracle Wish, and didn't listen to you before unifying our Miraculous." He mumbles, trying to not draw attention from the staff in the hallway.

Plagg pats the top of Adrien's shoe comfortingly, "I know you're sorry." He says understandingly, "I kinda expected something like that to happen, for you to lose control. But what I didn't expect was for you to pull yourself back from the edge so easily." He compliments.

He shakes his head, "It wasn't easy. But my mom really knew how to get through to me." His brow furrows, "How many times has the Miracle Wish been used exactly?"

Plagg rocks his head side to side, "Oh, maybe around a dozen; only a few were made by humans like your father, corrupted humans. Most of them were actually Ladybugs and Chat Noirs, trying to save the other." He says matter-of-factly, twisting the end of his shoelace absentmindedly.

Adrien's face twitches into a smile for a fleeting second, "That checks." He says, remembering what his mom said about soulmates. "Did they all pay the price?"

Plagg closes his eyes and nods, "They were never the same afterwards. All the Chosen are inherently good people, so the guilt always just eats away at them for the rest of their lives. That's why I tried to warn you." He adds sincerely, clearly haunted by the past.

Adrien reaches down and strokes his Kwami's head, "Thanks for looking out for me."

Plagg turns his head, "Yeah, well, someone has to when Marinette isn't around." He dismisses but his ears perk up at the end, "And speaking of-"

"Marinette!" Adrien jumps up from his seat as Marinette is pushed into the room on a transfer bed. Hooked up to an IV with some bandages around her abdomen, but with her eyes wide open, locking with his, that's all he could ask for.

The nurses slide her onto the room bed carefully, one of them approaches Adrien, "Everything went as planned. With a month of healing, she should have a full recovery." She gladly reports, the weight on Adrien's chest vanishing.

"That's fantastic," he says breathlessly, his eyes never leaving his wife, "and our baby...they're fine?"

Marinette raises her head, "I actually have news on that," she smiles, reaching out to him.

He kneels on the floor, taking her hand and kissing it softly, "What news?" He feels a pang of worry but her smile confuses him.

She breathes steadily, "They ran a few tests during all of...during everything, and one was an ultrasound for the baby." Her eyes glisten, "They told me when I woke up, the sex of our baby...Do you want to know?" She tempts, shaking his hand in hers lightheartedly.

He leans in eagerly, like it's a secret, "You know I do."

Mari gingerly lifts her other hand to stroke her baby bump, "It's a girl." She coos, a few stray tears falling down her cheeks.

He beams with happiness, placing his hand on hers over their baby girl. "I know she'll be perfect." He professes, kissing her on the lips. "Oh, and these belong to you," he pulls out her earrings from his pocket. "Maybe next time you're in a life-threatening situation, you hide these someplace I don't know." He says guiltily.

She takes her earrings, confused from the tone shift, "Why? What do you mean?"

He hangs his head, "I almost used a Miracle Wish to guarantee that you came out of this alright."

The words sink in for Marinette slowly. She smooths the hair on his head, "But...you didn't?"

"Yeah, my mom kinda talked me out of it." He says nonchalantly, removing her hand from his head and kissing her fingers.

"What? She's awake?" She looks around the room as if Emilie was sitting just out of her eyeline waiting to be acknowledged.

"N-no," he brings her attention back, "when I combined our Miraculous, the powers... I was...able to connect to her consciousness, I think. She helped me through some stuff. And...she told me she's ready to move on."

"Oh Adrien," she consoles him, "are you okay?"

He nods, "I got to say goodbye, which is more than I got to do the first time she left my life." He rubs the back of her hand with his thumb, "I'll be fine, knowing she's in a better place, and that you're going to recover in no time. And before we know it, we'll be holding our daughter. But for now, you need to rest." He leans in and kisses her forehead.

Marinette releases a relaxed sigh, closing her eyes in comfort knowing Adrien is beside her.

~~~

"Come on, Plagg, people will be here soon!" Tikki warns, zooming around the Dupain-Cheng-Agreste apartment, searching for her fellow Kwami.

She finally flies past Adrien and Marinette's bedroom, backtracking when she spies him floating beside the bed.

Her temper softens as she approaches him, whispering, "What cha' doing?" She asks, even though it was obvious.

His gaze doesn't leave the dozing black-haired, baby girl in the bassinet set up at the foot of the bed. "I, uh, Adrien and Marinette are busy getting things ready for the party, so I, uh, figured I better keep an eye on the kid." He attempts to say coolly but as usual is unable to hide how much he cares.

Tikki smiles, "She's just taking a nap, and Marinette has the baby monitor on her at all times."

He shrugs, "Well, you never know! Babies are such fragile...things, after all. Can't go trusting technology where ancient beings like us can do the job better." He hangs on the side of the bassinet vigilantly.

"And that's what makes you such a great babysitter." Marinette chimes in as she enters the room.

Plagg backs away, shaking his head, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Mari pats the baby monitor clipped onto her hip, "I think I do."

He mumbles to himself, rolling his eyes as Mari moves in to pick up the baby. "Watchherhead," he mumbles before turning to Tikki. "Alright let's go hide already, people will be here soon, come on!" he exclaims before zooming out of the room.

Tikki gives her Chosen a look before following him out.

Mari smiles as she cradles her one-week old daughter in her arms. "Come on, Amelia." She whispers as she rouses from her nap. "There'll be a bunch of people who want to meet you."

She squirms and yawns, finally opening her green eyes to the world, cooing at the sight of her mother.

There's a knock on the open bedroom door, "Knock, knock," Adrien announces himself, coming up beside them, "There's my girls," he kisses Mari then Amelia on her forehead. "Everything's set. Your parents will probably be here soon. Always early birds," he comments.

"That's what happens when you run a bakery." Marinette nudges him playfully with her hip so as to not disturb their daughter.

He chuckles, "I know. Yet, you didn't inherit their timeliness." He leads them out of the bedroom and down the stairs to the main living floor where purple streamers and balloons clung to every wall and archway, along with a sign saying 'Welcome Home Amelia'. The smell of various appetizers and treats also waft through the air, waiting to entice the group of friends and family coming over to celebrate Amelia's arrival.

They stand anxiously by their front door, knowing there will be a knock any moment now, Mari bouncing to keep Amelia soothed. "I hope this goes well," she confides, her eyes locked on their child.

Adrien puts an arm around her shoulders, beaming at the two of them, "We're superheroes, we can get through anything." He assures her. The three of them sharing a moment right as there's a knock at the door.