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Nadja Chamack didn’t get a lot of time for herself, and usually she preferred it that way. She felt most alive when she was throwing herself entirely into something, be it her fast-paced career in journalism or single-handedly raising her firecracker of a daughter. But even Nadja needed a break now and then, so when her parents offered to take Manon for the weekend she happily accepted. Less than an hour later, Nadja was entering her favorite bar, a place she hadn’t visited in years, and immediately a woman caught her eye. She was about Nadja’s age, with a fiery red streak through her hair that looked utterly at odds with its conservative style, and she had an air of determination about her even as she sat drinking alone. Quickly, Nadja made her way over, taking the empty seat next to the woman. “Come here often?” Nadja asked.
“Ha! I wish,” the woman said. “I don’t get a lot of free time.” She looked at Nadja. “You’re that reporter, aren’t you?”
Nadja grinned. “Don’t be bemused, it’s just the news,” she recited, flashing the woman her best TVi smile. “And… I could swear I’ve seen you before, but I can’t quite remember.”
“Nathalie Sancoeur.” Nathalie held a hand out and Nadja shook it. “I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced. I’m Gabriel Agreste’s personal assistant.”
“Of course, that’s right. Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said you don’t get a lot of free time, huh? What makes tonight special?”
Nathalie shrugged. “Tonight I needed a drink more than I needed to go straight back to my apartment and crash like I usually do.”
Nadja nodded. “It was a crazy day,” she agreed. “Did you get caught up in the attack?”
“Something like that.” Nathalie finished the rest of her scotch in one gulp. “And that’s my allotted drink, so I’d better be going. It was nice to…” Nathalie trailed off as Nadja gently placed a hand over hers and smiled.
“Let me buy you another?”
Three hours later, Nathalie kissed Nadja on the dance floor. Nadja hadn’t been expecting it. Nathalie had been holding back all night, letting Nadja take the lead on everything, volunteering as little personal information as possible while Nadja talked at length about her job and her daughter. But suddenly, without warning, Nathalie’s lips were on hers, Nathalie’s hand was on the small of her back, Nathalie was holding her close with surprising strength, and everything was warm and lovely.
“You’re beautiful,” Nathalie whispered, her voice low and eager. “So much prettier in real life.” She started kissing Nadja’s neck, and Nadja blushed.
“Should we find somewhere a little more private?” Nadja suggested, and Nathalie nodded. Nadja led her to the back of the club and they sat down together on a cozy loveseat. Nathalie’s eyes closed the second she sunk back into the cushions, and she leaned heavily on Nadja. “Are you okay?” Nadja asked Nathalie. “Nathalie?”
Nathalie’s eyes opened partway. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “I might’ve… might’ve overshot the window of enough drinks to loosen up without falling asleep. Sorry.”
Nadja smiled. “It’s okay, I get it,” she said. “You really needed a night out, didn’t you?”
Nathalie let out a humorless laugh. “My fucking job, you have no idea. It was bad enough already, working for a man like Gabriel Agreste, but then he started making all those fucking akumas.”
“Oh, God, tell me about it,” Nadja groaned. “I swear, Cataldi antagonizes people on purpose. He thinks filming an akumatization live is good for ratings or something, it drives me insane. He’s done it, like, half a dozen times now at least. How many akumas has your boss caused?”
“All of them,” Nathalie mumbled, her eyes closed again.
Nadja blinked. “What?” Nathalie didn’t respond. Nadja shook her shoulder, but Nathalie remained fast asleep. Sighing, Nadja fished through Nathalie’s purse, found her ID with her address listed, and called a cab.
Getting Nathalie back up to her apartment while she was half-asleep was a more difficult task than Nadja anticipated. Nathalie lived on the third floor of a old building without an elevator, and Nadja had had almost as much to drink as Nathalie. By the time they reached the apartment, Nadja had just enough energy left to locate Nathalie’s bedroom and deposit her unceremoniously on top of it.
As Nathalie landed on her mattress, she woke up partway, grabbed Nadja’s arm, and pulled her down into another kiss. Laughing softly, Nadja pulled away. “Maybe tomorrow, when you’re sober,” she said as kindly as she could.
“Promise?” Nathalie’s eyes were closed again, and dozens of wisps of hair had escaped her tight bun.
“Sure, hon.” Nadja turned away from the bed and began to scan around, searching for the room’s light switch. The room was shockingly bare. Nadja wasn’t above looking through a person’s apartment for personal information, but Nathalie’s place was giving her nothing.
Nadja found the switch and was just about to leave the room when something stopped her. That thing that Nathalie had said earlier, about akumas… it was ridiculous, she’d clearly just been speaking hyperbolically-and considering Gabriel Agreste’s reputation, Nadja hardly blamed her-and yet…
Nadja turned back and walked over to the bed. Nathalie’s breathing had grown deep and steady. One question only, Nadja thought to herself. Any more and she might remember it tomorrow. Fortunately, Nadja was a professional interviewer. She knew how to make one question count. Nadja leaned down, her lips hovering right next to Nathalie’s ear. “Nathalie?” she whispered.
“Hmm?”
“The akumas,” Nadja said cautiously.
“Uh huh?”
“Why?”
“Oh,” Nathalie sighed, her eyes still closed, “his wife. So sad. She was beautiful. Strong. Like you.”
Nadja’s blood ran cold. Gabriel Agreste’s wife… yes, that was a news story she hadn’t forgotten. Slowly, Nadja straightened back up and left the room, careful not to make any noise as she closed the door behind her.
Nadja crossed the apartment and sat down on Nathalie’s couch, one of the only pieces of furniture that Nadja could see. The rest of the apartment, it seemed, was just as bare and impersonal as the bedroom. Biting back a yawn, Nadja began to call for a ride home-
-but before she pressed SEND, curiosity overwhelmed her and instead she began looking up news articles from two years ago.
Adele Agreste, missing. Vanished into thin air. No leads. Police baffled. Beloved wife and mother still not found. Substantial reward offered for anyone with any information that leads to the safe return of Adele Agreste. No questions asked.
Gabriel Agreste, one of the wealthiest men in Europe, reputed to be the most ruthless man in the world of high fashion, had exhausted every possible means to find his wife. Police, private eyes, supernatural investigators, and not one of them had ever found a thing. Was it so crazy to think he might have turned to more desperate, less legal measures?
Nadja was woken on Nathalie’s couch the next morning by a very hungover and very mortified Nathalie shaking her shoulder. “Miss… Miss Chamack?”
Nadja’s eyes flew open. “Nathalie! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to spend the night, I just,” fell asleep researching your supervillain boss, “sat down to call a cab. I must have been more tired than I realized, I apologize.”
“Please don’t,” Nathalie said, her cheeks turning pink. “I’m the one who owes you an apology. I think I must have made quite a fool of myself last night.”
“You think? You don’t remember, then?” Nadja asked, and Nathalie’s cheeks turned darker.
“My memories of last night are… fuzzy,” she confessed.
“How fuzzy?” Nadja asked, trying not to sound too worried about the answer.
Nathalie’s face furrowed. “We had a few drinks,” she said slowly. “Well, more than a few. We danced, and… that’s where the fuzziness takes over, I’m afraid.” She kept thinking. “Wait. Did we… did I kiss you?”
The corners of Nadja’s mouth turned up. “A few times, actually. I’m sorry I wasn’t more memorable. It’s been a while, I must be rusty.”
Nathalie covered her face with her hands. “I am so sorry,” she groaned.
“I’m not,” Nadja said, and Nathalie peeked at her through parted fingers. “I had a nice time last night.” She hesitated, but only for a second. “Could I take you out again tonight? Maybe I’ll be more memorable this time around.”
Somehow, Nathalie’s blush got even deeper. “I don’t know,” she said slowly, “I don’t usually go out two nights in a row. Honestly, I don’t usually go out two nights in the same month.”
“Me either,” Nadja admitted, “but my daughter’s only at her grandparents’ for the next,” Nadja checked the time on her phone, “thirty-six hours.” Nathalie didn’t reply. “Please? I really did have a good time last night, and I’d love to get to know you better.”
“I don’t have time for a real relationship or anything, my job-”
“Sounds about as busy as mine,” Nadja interrupted. “It could be perfect.”
After another moment of hesitation, Nathalie nodded. “Alright,” she said. “Dinner. That sounds nice.”
Nadja really did like Nathalie, that was the thing. She recognized that streak of intense professionalism in herself, she understood it, she wanted it in a partner. And yes, Nathalie could be a lot stiffer and colder than Nadja was, but in Nadja’s opinion that just made Nathalie all the more fun to unravel. Nathalie was smart and sexy and they clicked in a way Nadja wasn’t sure she ever had with any other woman before.
Every day that passed, Nadja became more and more convinced that Gabriel Agreste was Hawkmoth. It was getting harder and harder to tell herself that if he was, Nadja would have no difficulty betraying Nathalie in order to take him down.
“When do I meet your daughter?” Nathalie asked her in bed one night, after a long stretch of satisfied silence, of laying in each others arms, slowly drifting off to sleep.
“You don’t,” Nadja said, far more harshly than she’d meant to. A sudden memory of Manon’s akumatization came to mind, and she quickly pushed it aside. “Sorry,” she said, kissing Nathalie’s cheek, “I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just all the parenting books say you don’t introduce the girlfriend until there’s a real level of commitment first. It’s not good for them to get attached when there’s still a chance of a break-up, and I don’t want to put that kind of pressure on you.”
“I understand,” Nathalie said. She ran the tips of her fingers up and down Nadja’s arm. “Is there a story there?”
Nadja let out a small laugh. “Not really,” she said. “I had a very clear idea for what I wanted my life to be, and it included being a mom. When I was ready for it I was single, but I didn’t see why that should stop me, you know? So I asked a close friend for help, we got some genetic screening, made a few appointments, and about a year later Manon was born.”
“Ah, the life plan.” Nathalie smiled. “I had one of those once.”
“I’m guessing it never included dating a woman with a seven year-old.”
“No,” Nathalie admitted, “but after a few years of looking after my boss’ kid, I’m coming around on the idea.” She kissed Nadja, bringing her hand up to cradle Nadja’s face as she did so. Nadja kissed her back, closing her eyes and doing her best to compartmentalize, to not think about anything else.
It only took a few more weeks for Nadja’s curiosity to overwhelm her fear. She pressed the buzzer at the Agreste gate and waited patiently. A minute later, the security camera sprang to life, and Nadja smiled at it.
“Nadja?” Nathalie’s voice came through the speaker, grainy and confused.
“Surprise!” Nadja said cheerfully. “I had more time than usual for lunch, and I know this is when you usually take your break, so I thought I’d swing by.” She held up a large paper bag. “I got your favorite.”
“I…” Nathalie trailed off, and the speaker went dead. Nadja heard a loud click, and the gate swung open.
Everything about Agreste Manor was designed to be intimidating, that much was clear. The long walk from the gate to the imposing front steps, the giant door, the large and empty foyer. Nadja had never felt smaller. She did her best to shake off the feeling as she heard the familiar sound of her girlfriend’s heels echoing from down the hall. “Aren’t you happy to see me?” Nadja asked, when Nathalie finally appeared, her face drawn.
“Of course I am, I just,” Nathalie bit her lip, “Mr. Agreste isn’t a fan of surprise visitors to the manor, that’s all.”
I’m sure he isn’t, Nadja thought. “Sorry,” she said, kissing Nathalie’s cheek. “I’ll give you a heads-up next time.”
“Thank you, I appreciate-”
“Nathalie.” Nathalie whirled around to face her employer. He stood calmly behind her, hands clasped behind his back, one eyebrow raised ever so slightly. “I wasn’t aware we were expecting anyone.”
“This is my girlfriend, Nadja,” Nathalie said quickly. “She just stopped by for lunch.”
“I see.” Gabriel looked Nadja up and down for a moment, then held out his hand for Nadja to shake. “Nadja Chamack, I believe? From TVi?” He looked at Nathalie. “You never mentioned you were dating a reporter.”
Nathalie straightened. “I wasn’t aware I needed your sign-off,” she said stiffly. “Shall I print out a non-disclosure agreement for her to sign?”
Gabriel chuckled softly, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous, Nathalie,” he said. “Miss Chamack, it has been a pleasure, but I’m afraid my presence is required elsewhere.”
“Of course,” Nadja replied smoothly. “Lovely to have met you.” Gabriel nodded, then turned and walked into his office without another word, shutting the door firmly behind himself. Nadja fought off a shudder as Nathalie let out a small sigh of relief.
Nathalie led Nadja to the dining room, which was adjacent to the foyer and completely deserted. The tension in Nathalie’s shoulders visibly eased as she began unpacking the bag Nadja had brought, from Nathalie’s favorite local bistro. By the time they began eating, both Nathalie and Nadja were smiling and bantering, their encounter with Gabriel Agreste forgotten.
Nadja’s phone alert went off, and she pulled it out of her pocket. She went still. “Something wrong?” Nathalie asked.
“There’s been another akuma attack,” Nadja said quietly.
Nathalie’s eyes flickered in the direction of Gabriel’s office for a fraction of a second. “Do you need to go and cover it?” she asked.
“No,” Nadja said, shaking her head. “They’ve got another reporter on it.” She took a deep breath, then put her phone away and forced herself to go back to smiling and laughing.
About twenty minutes later, Nathalie’s phone went off. “Shoot,” she muttered, “I have to take this, I’m sorry, I’ve been trying to get in touch with this distributor for three days. Do you mind?”
Nadja shook her head, her chest tightening. “Of course not,” she said. She waited for Nathalie to get a few minutes into the conversation, when she was at her most distracted. “Where’s the bathroom?” she whispered.
“Down the hall to the left,” Nathalie whispered back, before immediately returning all her attention to the call.
Nadja left the dining hall and hurried to the closed office door. She listened for a few seconds and heard nothing. No talking, no typing, no sketching. Preparing herself to pretend to have gotten lost if necessary, she slowly opened the door.
No one. The room was totally deserted. Nadja poked her head in and looked around, making sure there were no other exits Mr. Agreste could have possibly gone out. Sighing, she quickly exited, shutting the door as quietly as possible before heading back to the dining room.
As a reporter, Nadja had connections all over Paris, in all institutions and at all levels, up to and including the chief of police. Chief Vincent was a very busy man, naturally, but when Nadja called and said she needed to meet with him as soon as possible regarding an urgent matter, he cleared a half hour for her right away.
“Thank you,” Nadja said, as Vincent showed her in. “I appreciate your seeing me.”
“So what’s this urgent matter, then?” Vincent asked, sitting back down behind his desk.
Nadja hesitated. “This conversation can’t leave this room,” she said.
Vincent raised an eyebrow. “What’s this about?”
“What if…” Nadja took a breath, bracing herself, “what if I had a lead as to the identity of Hawkmoth?”
Vincent’s eyes widened. “Hawkmoth,” he murmured. “If you really had something… I mean, Nadja, you could save Paris with that information. How solid is this lead?”
Nadja shifted uncomfortably. “I’m pretty sure.”
Vincent grabbed a pen. “Well, give me the name and we can…” he trailed off, noticing Nadja’s expression. “What’s the trouble?”
“He’s powerful,” Nadja said.
“Of course he’s powerful, but surely Ladybug and Chat Noir can… oh.” Understanding dawned. “As a man, you mean. How powerful?” Nadja didn’t respond. “Good Lord, Nadja, you don’t mean the mayor?”
Nadja allowed herself a small smile. “No, thank God,” she said. “Not quite that bad. But… close.”
Vincent sighed and leaned back wearily. “I see.”
“I’m not sure the police department would be able to move against him at all, before he was publically unmasked. I’d hate to see the conviction compromised.”
Vincent was silent for a moment, deep in thought. Then he leaned over his desk and scribbled something on a notepad. “Here.” He ripped off the piece of paper and handed it to Nadja. “I probably shouldn’t be giving a reporter that. It’s Ladybug’s direct line. Don’t abuse it.”
Nadja stared down at the scrap of paper reverently. “I won’t,” she whispered.
Nadja waited nervously in her office, long after everyone had gone home for the night. The lights were off and her window was open, as instructed. She didn’t even hear Ladybug as she swung into the office and landed silently, Chat Noir seconds behind her.
“Miss Chamack,” Ladybug said, straightening and walking over to Nadja decisively. “You said you had information for us?”
Nadja nodded. “Thank you for agreeing to meet me. After the last time we met, well, I wouldn’t blame you for being reluctant.” Ladybug frowned, confused. “The interview,” Nadja clarified.
“Oh! Oh, no, of course not, I know you-I mean, I don’t know you know you, but I mean, I know you didn’t mean-” Ladybug cleared her throat as she nervously composed herself. “It’s fine,” she said. “What do you have for us?”
“It’s Hawkmoth,” Nadja said. “I’m pretty sure he’s Gabriel Agreste.”
Chat inhaled sharply, and he and Ladybug exchanged a glance. “Gabriel Agreste has… been a person of interest to us in the past,” Ladybug said. “But we ruled him out. He’s been akumatized.”
“Is that the only thing that ruled him out?” Nadja asked. “Are you sure it’s impossible for Hawkmoth to have akumatized himself? To avert suspicion, perhaps?”
Ladybug frowned. “It was right when we were beginning to look into him,” she said slowly, looking back at Chat. “You have to admit, the timing was convenient.”
Chat folded his arms and practically glared at Nadja. “What do you have?” he asked her. “What makes you sure enough to accuse a man as prominent as Gabriel Agreste?”
“I’d rather not reveal my source,” Nadja said tersely.
Chat’s eyes narrowed. “You’re dating his personal assistant, aren’t you?”
Nadja blinked. “How did you-”
“Did she say something? Does Nathalie know?”
Nadja looked away. “Something like that,” she admitted. “She doesn’t realize she’s given him away.”
Ladybug looked at her partner. “Chat? Are you alright?”
“Fine,” he said, not meeting her gaze. “We’ll look into it,” he said to Nadja. “If we discover proof either way, we’ll be in touch.”
Nadja nodded. “Thank you.”
For the next week, Nadja jumped at every phone call. “Working on a big scoop?” Nathalie asked her, somewhat teasingly.
“Hmm?” Nadja looked up from her phone, distracted. “Oh. Yeah, you could say that.”
Nathalie had been in the habit for a while now of stopping by Nadja’s apartment every Tuesday while Manon was at her Taekwondo class. She usually brought work with her, and often the two of them would pass the hour while barely exchanging ten words, but the silence this evening had a tense, heavy quality to it where once it had been relaxed and easy. Nathalie gave her girlfriend a bemused look, then shut her laptop and crossed to where Nadja was sitting on her couch. She came around the back of the couch and began to massage Nadja’s shoulders. “You’ve been so wound-up lately,” Nathalie murmured, her lips near Nadja’s ear. “Anything I can do to help with that?” Nadja twisted around to look up at Nathalie. Nathalie looked into Nadja’s eyes and dropped her seductive demeanor. “Is something wrong?” Nathalie asked, concerned. She brushed a stray hair out of Nadja’s eyes. “You seemed so lost for a second. If there’s anything I can do, just name it.”
Nadja stared into Nathalie’s eyes for a few moments. “I think I might love you, you know,” she said softly.
Nathalie smiled, surprised. “I think I might love you, too.”
“Nathalie-” Nadja’s phone began to ring again, startling Nadja. She glanced down at it. Unknown caller. “I’m sorry, this… this might be extremely important.”
“Of course.”
Nadja rose from the couch and nervously crossed to the other side of the apartment before answering. “Nadja Chamack.”
“Your suspicions have been verified,” Chat said, his voice numb.
Nadja swallowed. “I see,” she said, just barely keeping her voice from trembling.
“We’re moving on him now. I thought you’d want to know.”
“I appreciate that.” She hesitated. “Be careful.”
“We’ll be fine,” Chat said. “He’s no match for us directly, it’s why he’s had to hide behind akumas and secrecy. He can’t hide anymore.” He paused. “We couldn’t have done this without you. You’re a hero.”
Nadja let out a shaky breath and looked across the room at Nathalie, still smiling at her and waiting patiently. “I don’t feel like one.”
Chat let out a humorless laugh. “Tell me about it.” The line went dead. Slowly, Nadja pocketed her phone and crossed back to Nathalie.
“Everything alright?” Nathalie asked.
“Oh.” Nadja sat down, and Nathalie sat down next to her, taking her hand. “Better than alright according to most, I’d say. A great evil is about to be defeated.”
Nathalie went still. “Oh? How do you mean?”
“Nathalie.” Nathalie met Nadja’s gaze, and saw the tears welling up in her eyes. “Let’s not keep pretending.”
Nathalie closed her eyes. “How long have you known?”
“Since the night we met. You’re more talkative than you realize, seven drinks in.”
“Ah.” Nathalie sighed. “Is it terrible that a part of me is relieved I haven’t been deceiving you this whole time? Because it was eating me up inside,” Nathalie brushed away a few tears of her own, “thinking I was tricking you into dating the accomplice of the monster who akumatized your daughter.”
“It’s not terrible,” Nadja said. “You’ve got enough to feel guilty about, you don’t have to feel guilty about us.” Nadja squeezed Nathalie’s hand. “I just wish I understood why, Nathalie, that’s all.”
“Oh,” Nathalie wiped away more tears, to no avail, “I was very foolish, that’s all there is to it. When he said he had a way to bring Adele back…” she shook her head. “And by the time I realized how far he was willing to go, it was too late. And I thought, well, if I’m already damned then I might as well go all in, try to manage it from the inside, you know? And I really thought he could pull it off. I thought maybe all this fear and chaos didn’t have to be in vain.” She looked at Nadja. “From the beginning, you’ve known,” she murmured. “Is that why you pursued this? Is that what this was to you? You can tell me, I can take it. I can’t very well be mad about it, can I?”
Nadja sighed. “I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t part of why I asked you out,” she admitted. “As for how much of this it was… oh, who has the energy for questions like that? Isn’t it enough that my heart is breaking now?”
“More than I deserve, certainly.” Nathalie glanced at the clock hanging on the far wall. “How long before the police arrive, do you think?”
“Could be a while before they think to look here,” Nadja said. “If… if you’re going to run, I won’t stop you. Just do me a favor and don’t tell me where you’re going, okay?”
“Did I just hear Nadja Chamack ask not to be told something?” Nathalie smiled wryly. “Now I know you care.” She shook her head. “I’m not running, I’m turning myself in.”
“You don’t have to-”
“I always hated waiting around for the inevitable,” Nathalie said. She leaned forward and kissed Nadja. Nadja closed her eyes and melted into it, allowed herself to forget everything else just for an instant. “Goodbye, Nadja.” She stood and began walking towards the door.
“Is it?” Nadja asked. Nathalie stopped and turned around. “Goodbye, that is? I mean… well, there’s bail, and the trial will take months, and if you cooperate with the police they’ll probably reduce your sentence, maybe you could get outright immunity with everything you know, and if not there’s always visitation, I know it won’t be easy but…” Nadja trailed off. “I mean, if that’s something you want.”
“Something I want?” Nathalie repeated, dumbfounded. “Of course I want that. You’d really stay by my side through this?”
Nadja smiled weakly. “Seems fair, considering I’m the one getting you arrested in the first place, doesn’t it?”
Grinning, Nathalie walked back over to the couch, leaned down, and kissed Nadja again. “See you around, then,” she murmured. Before Nadja could think clearly enough to say a word, Nathalie had pulled away, turned back around, and was gone.
Sighing, Nadja turned on her television set, switched over to the live coverage of Hawkmoth’s defeat, and waited for the inevitable.