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"You don't understand son! She was my everything- my whole life and now she's gone! I just want her back. You of all people should be helping me!" Gabriel cried out to his son from the stairs.
Ladybug watched her partner fight an internal battle with himself and her heart ached for him- for both of the men in front of her. Despite everything Hawkmoth had put them through over the past five years, he was still just a man whose love for his wife clouded his better judgement.
She watched a tear roll down Chat Noir's cheek, which he was quick to wipe away.
"You hurt so many people father. Would she have wanted that?" He spat back at the older man who unlike his usual stoic appearance, was crumpled onto the stairs of his mansion sobbing out his pain in a moment of weakness.
"She would want to see you. She would want to see you grow up; she would want to live!" Gabriel argued in a desperate attempt to persuade his son to give back his butterfly miraculous. He just needed to strike a nerve.
Ladybug felt her partner's breath hitch and she swallowed her nerves. She needed to figure out a solution quick. A solution that would benefit everyone.
As much as she loathed Hawkmoth, she loved her boyfriend... and Hawkmoth was his father. His father who was only a man with unconditional love and regret for his wife and her early passing.
"Father...I-"
"Wait!" Ladybug called out suddenly, effectively catching everyone's attention. She chewed her lip as she continued to form a plan in her brain. "I have an idea for how you can see her again. You can both get the closure you need, and no one has to get hurt." she paused as she approached the older Agreste cautiously, who shot her a hateful glare as she crouched down to his level. "Mr. Agreste, I understand how much she means to you- and my heart goes out to you both. I can't even begin to imagine what you've been through all these years. I had no idea that's what all of this has been for." She explained. His eyes searched hers, and for a brief moment she thought that maybe... just maybe she had reached him.
What she had foolishly not anticipated was for him to backhand her across the face.
It had all happened so fast. A loud smack echoing off the walls of the large room before she fell back onto her butt in surprise, Chat Noir charging forward with a black flash that had her reeling on top of her shock from the original blow to her face. Once she had regained her composure, Chat had the older man in a headlock. The man was gasping desperately for air, the room filling with sounds of helpless choking.
"Chat! Don't hurt him, I want to do this as civilly as possible- please!" She cried out to her partner upon registering the scene before her, rubbing her cheekbone to soothe the ache that bloomed there.
With a low growl, Chat released his grip on his father's neck and opted to seizing his wrists behind his back instead. Gabriel snarled at her.
"You condescending, wretched pest! What have you done to my son!" He bit out, but Ladybug held firm as she finally found her feet.
"I need you to listen to me, either way I am taking Adrien to Emelie because I can trust him to be calm and civil. I need you to calm down and prove to me that you can handle it too." She explained, making use of every fiber in her body in order to maintain her composure. She became acutely aware of Chat's eyes searching hers in a desperate attempt to figure out what her plan was.
Was she trying to trick his father? He wished he could read her mind.
"Shut your mouth! You are disgusting- a corruption to my son! A-"
"Do you want to see your wife again Gabriel?" She snapped, cutting him off. A long silence followed where he searched her strong held gaze for any signs of deceit.
"You can't do that. No one can." He replied, his voice much more solemn. Chat watched Ladybug's lips pull into a soft, sad smile.
"I can't. But I know someone who can. Now, will you listen to me so I can help you?" She asked, daring to once again kneel before him so that they were eye to eye. Another long silence followed where he just stared at her, caught between wanting nothing more than to kill her in that moment... but also longing to meet his wife again.
"But how?" He questioned. Ladybug let out a breath and peered up to Chat Noir.
"It would be a one-time thing. I'm sorry, but there is no permanent solution. This would just be so you could reunite and say a proper goodbye. Are you both willing to accept that fact?" She asked the men in front of her. She watched another tear slip from her boyfriend's eye.
"Please Ladybug, I'd do anything just to see her one more time." He said with pleading eyes. She offered him a warm smile before she moved back to Gabriel.
"And you?" She inquired. The older man let out a long breath.
"Yes." He agreed, his voice barely reaching above a whisper. Ladybug nodded and stood.
"Alright Chat, let him go. I believe he's going to comply." She spoke. Chat glanced down to his father who he still had tight in his grasp.
"Don't try anything Father. I'm trusting you not to hurt her, and to let her help us, okay?" He asked. Gabriel nodded slowly.
"Just unhand me."
Chat released him slowly and allowed the man to stand in front of Ladybug.
"I'm gonna make a call. Sit tight." She told them before turning to exit the mansion momentarily, typing on her bugphone as she left.
Chat stared down at his father who was trembling with emotion in front of him, despite his attempts to mask it.
"I know it's hard for you, but you need to put your trust in Ladybug. She's never failed before." Chat explained. Gabriel's shoulders tensed.
"I need her to be back for good Adrien. You of all people should understand." Chat let out a long, shuddery breath as he mustered up the last of his resolve.
"I do understand. I want her back for good more than anything as well," He paused to take in a sharp breath of air. "but the effect it would have on the world would be catastrophic, and mother would never be okay with that. We need to accept the fact that she is gone and move on. That is what she would want for both of us." Chat explained, placing a hand atop his father's trembling shoulder.
"What if it was Marinette in Emelie's place? You would be no better than me, I know it." Gabriel argued. Chat's breath hitched at the thought. No- he couldn't let his father weasel his way into his mind. He knew what was right.
"I wouldn't. Despite my love for her, I know Marinette would never forgive me if I took these types of measures to bring her back. She would want me to love her in her absence, not hurt people in a feeble attempt to revive her." Chat shot back, picking up on the way his father still tried to hurt him emotionally in order to get what he wanted. Some things would never change.
Ladybug walked back in, fastening her yo-yo around her hip.
"Alright, Are you sure you're going to behave?" She asked Gabriel who rolled his eyes in response.
"You are such a condescending wretch." He spat back. Ladybug shook her head disapprovingly, and the man felt a harsh warning grip on his shoulder from behind. "...Yes, I will comply with you. Just bring me to her." He sighed in defeat. He could play nice for a moment if it meant he could see his lost wife once again. Ladybug smiled sweetly.
"Good. Once again, I need you to understand that this is a one-time thing, we can't mess with the time portals too much or it could affect the future. If you can't do that, Chat and I are prepared to take you right back here without a second thought. Got it?" She reiterated, Chat nodding his agreement behind her. She hoped that she was being crystal clear with her expectations. It was crucial that he listened to her. Gabriel grit his teeth. He had never felt so small in his life.
"Yes." He forced out. Ladybug gave Chat a nod and he approached her.
"Bunnix is on her way. I'm gonna have her send us back to a point where she was alive, but aware of what is to come so nothing will come as too much of a surprise to her. We can stay for a little while, but we have to leave before past you or past Gabriel notices us." She explained.
Chat Noir felt tears welling up in his eyes. He was going to see his mother again after almost ten years. Marinette was going to make that happen for him. He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and sighed.
"Got it my lady. Thank you for this." He said. She shook her head and squeezed his upper arm.
"Don't thank me. This is something I should have thought of long ago." She spoke softly.
A knock on the huge double doors of the mansion had Ladybug pulling away to answer. They all watched as Bunnix entered the comically large foyer, taking in the scene before her.
"Ladybug, are you sure this is a good idea?" She questioned right off the bat upon taking one look at the older Agreste. Ladybug nodded slowly.
"I trust him, and I think this this is the key to putting an end to all of this. They both need this closure." Ladybug explained to the fuchsianette. Bunnix nodded cautiously, her gaze moving from Chat, to Ladybug, then back to Gabriel.
"Are you ready?" She asked, her eyes mostly reaching Gabriel. He nodded silently. Bunnix let out a long, worried breath and glanced around the room. She disappeared into the kitchen for a moment before returning with three bowls. "Alright, wear these. You can't know anything about the future or the past, you know the deal." She explained as she passed Ladybug and Chat their respective bowls. Her expression turned stern when she reached Gabriel. "If you attempt to remove your bowl before I allow it, I will send your ass straight to the high security prison, you hear me?" She threatened, icy blue eyes burning into his grey ones. Ladybug watched Gabriel nod silently through his apparent sudden vow of silence.
"Everything will work out just fine Bunnix, because Chat Noir and I have made him aware of the consequences should he try to escape," She paused, moving her eyes from Bunnix to Gabriel. "...and he's not a bad man. He just lost sight of what was right in his grief. I know he's smart, and he knows we are just trying to help him." She explained with a small, sort of understanding smile to the man in front of her.
"He's made some mistakes over the years, and over those years I spent so much time just trying to figure out why. I can sort of understand my father now, along with understanding that under the mask he was always just as heartbroken as I was. We just took different paths to deal with it. I think above all, Ladybug is right. If we do this correctly, and he can accept that this will be the last time and do it right, it really can put an end to all of this." Chat Noir spoke. Both Bunnix, and Ladybug's gazes turned to him with a simultaneous nod of approval.
After the bowls were all in place, Gabriel registered the sound of a burrow opening. His heart thumped rapidly in his chest. This was it. This was the moment he would finally reunite with his precious Emelie.
He paused his steps when Chat Noir gripped his shoulder to signal that they had arrived.
"Alright, be warned. This time period is approximately two days before her passing. I've done it this way so she is aware of her future, and I believe she won't tell anyone of this visit. She shouldn't be able to alter anything in her timeline from this point." Bunnix explained carefully, taking care to make sure each of them were listening. She moved to remove Gabriel's bowl, allowing him to peer through the time window.
Emelie .
She was just as he had remembered her. Bedridden, pale, sick... but beautiful. She was always the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He glanced over to Bunnix when he felt her hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. She gifted him a kind, assuring smile upon witnessing the tears that had sprung to his eyes.
"You all have ten minutes until mini-Adrien comes in. He can absolutely not, under any circumstances, see you. You each get five minutes. Gabriel, you're up." She said with a nudge to the man's shoulder.
Gabriel let out a shuddery breath. What was he supposed to say? She would probably be afraid of him at first. Was he supposed to explain to her what he had done? What he had done to Paris? What he had done to their son? The realization of the reality of everything he had done struck him right in the chest. He trembled at the thought of admitting that to her.
Another hand on his opposite shoulder brought him back to reality. This time, he peered up to Adrien who was now detransformed just as he was.
"You don't have to tell her father. Just enjoy seeing her, she doesn't need to know." Adrien assured him. Gabriel shook his head sharply.
"She would despise the man I have become." He muttered, sounding ashamed of himself for the first time in his entire life. It was a feeling he rarely ever felt.
"But she loves you father. Let her see the man she loves, and let her see that you're going to be okay in the end. That is what she would want to see." His son said. Gabriel nodded as he processed his son's encouraging words, turning back towards the burrow. Bunnix opened it and he finally took a step through.
Upon noticing his arrival, Emelie's eyes blew wide open and she scrambled to her best ability to escape him, tossing a glass of water that had been previously placed on the side table at his face.
Gabriel was quick to catch it before it hit the ground and set it back down on the table.
"W-who are you?" She stammered through her fear, her voice trembling just as the rest of her body did. He approached slowly, as to not scare her. He couldn't help the tears the flowed freely down his face. His tremble matched hers. "...Gabriel, Darling?" She questioned the moment she began to recognize him, though still not completely sure. He nodded, crumpling to his knees at her bedside. His fists shook with his grip on the comforter.
"It's me, my love." He sighed as she scooted back towards him carefully, running a hand through the hair of the older man before her.
"What has happened to you? You're different than the last time I saw you." She breathed as the mess of a man lifted his face from the bed to peer up at her once again.
"I came from the future, Emelie. I needed to see you one last time. The last ten years have been so hard without you, I simply cannot cope with the grief of losing you my love." He rambled on, reaching out a hand to grip hers softly. She smiled sadly down at the broken man before her, bringing his hand to her lips for a soft, tentative kiss. A tear ran down her cheek and he was quick to capture it before it could fall to the comforter.
"What year do you come from dear?" She inquired, searching deeply into his sad, longing eyes.
"2023." He replied. She nodded thoughtfully, taking in all the new information in this less than orthodox situation.
"...and Adrien? Tell me he is okay Dearest. I never meant to leave him." She said softly, painful emotion pinching at the corners of her eyes and wrinkling beautifully.
"He is wonderful. Grown into a fine young man, with a good head on his shoulders." He assured her. More tears slipped from his wife's eyes and rolled down her hollowed cheeks.
"I only wish I could see it. My sweet baby boy growing into a man. Our life together, everything." She sighed out with a shaky breath at her lips which were quivering with emotion. Her hand cupped his cheek and he leaned into the tender touch.
"Me too my love. More than anything. It was so hard without you by my side, I hurt so many people because of my grief. I lost sight of what was important and hurt our son. Our sweet baby boy who was just trying to grieve too. He looked to me for comfort, and I selfishly turned him away because I couldn't bare the reminder of you who lived and breathed in our home. So much deep regret fills me Emelie. He never deserved that, I was selfish and cruel to him. You would hate the man I have become." He ranted on to his wife who still, despite it all continued to stare down at him with a loving smile. She moved her thumb soothingly along the length of his cheekbone.
"I don't think that could be possible Gabriel." She assured him. "What is most important is that you can sit here and recognize your mistake. It is never too late to make things right with our son. Seek comfort within each other in my absence. Don't let him go, please Gabriel. Take care of him for me, alright?" She asked of him, her stern eyes still so full of love and understanding. Gabriel nodded through a watery chuckle.
"His girlfriend reminds me of you. You and her are alike in that way, so selfless and full of love. I am in debt to her for taking care of him in my own absence." Gabriel said. Emelie's expression softened further.
"He has a girlfriend now? I want to hear all about her. I want to know everything about our son and learn everything I am going to miss. Please, everything you know." She pleaded with her husband, taking his one hand tightly between her two. Gabriel smiled fondly down at the woman.
"You can ask him yourself my love. He is waiting out there to come in." He told her, gesturing to the portal which had remained open.
His heart pounded in his chest at the way her face lit up at the prospect of seeing her son all grown up. A sight Emelie herself had come to terms with never seeing. Then his heart sank at the realization that his time with her was coming to an end.
"Emelie, I love you with my whole heart. I don't know what I am going to do without you." He said through a choked sob. She gently grabbed him by the face for reassurance.
"You will get on just fine my darling Gabriel. Just keep my love and memory in your heart and live on for me. That is all I ask, that you live your life to your heart's content for me. Allow me to live on through you and our son. Keep him close and never let him go. Give him enough love for the both of us, and never let him doubt that he has you above all in the end." She asked of him. Gabriel nodded, loud sobs ripping from his throat. "Hush my love, or our time together will be cut short." She spoke softly.
"I will do just that for you my sweet Emelie. I will do just that until we eventually meet again." He assured her. She sighed contently and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.
"Thank you. I love you so much." She whispered to him as he stood, her hands suddenly cold from the loss of his touch.
"Until we meet again on some beautiful day, my love." He promised, his voice just barely above a whisper as he forced himself to tear away from his other half. He needed to fulfill his promise to his wife. He was determined to set things right, and the first step was to just... let her go once and for all.
He stepped back into the portal to find the three heroes in the exact position they had sent him off in. He could detect traces of tears on his son's cheeks. He placed his hands on the shoulders of the young man in front of him.
"Go to her son, she wishes to see you." He said. The tears began to fall harder from his son's eyes and Marinette stepped forward to give him a gentle nudge towards the portal. She gave him an encouraging smile and he dove down to hug her.
"She is going to love who you've become Adrien. Go on." She promised him carefully. He released her from his grip and turned to walk through the portal without another word.
Marinette watched him go with tears of her own in her eyes. She was so proud of him for staying so strong throughout everything. He was so brave. She was happy she could give this to him and his father, and in the end of it all no one had to get hurt. Above all, they'd have each other to help heal as time went on.
A hand on her shoulder pulled her away from her thoughts and rushing to wipe the tears from her face.
"I am sorry Marinette. For everything I have put you through- for everything I put Adrien through, and everything I put Paris through. It means so much to me that you have put the past aside to do this for us. Even if just for Adrien- allowing me to see her as well means everything to me. My sincerest gratitude goes out to you. I hope eventually we can all recover from this. Together." Gabriel said. Marinette couldn't help the fresh rounds of tears that fell with his words. She immediately latched onto the older man for a hug and cried over his shoulder.
"I would love that Mr. Agreste." She sighed. She could physically feel the weight of the world lifting away from her shoulders.
This was it. The end. The happy ending where everyone lived in harmony and peace. The one where they loved each other and healed together. Where no one was forced to suffer alone, and they could all lean on each other for the desperately needed support they all craved.
On the other hand in the time portal, tears fell freely between Adrien and his mother. His beautiful, sweet, caring mother who he had spent the past ten years longing for.
"My sweet baby boy, look how you've grown." Emelie sighed as she opened her arms to the man before her, who couldn't help but crumble down into her embrace.
"Mother..." he managed to cry out to her, in a way he hadn't been able to do since he was a child. She had only lived in his childhood memories until now. Here she was, exactly as she had been all those years ago.
She grabbed the sides of his face to pull him away momentarily, pressing a firm kiss to her boy's forehead. She hoped he could feel all the love she desperately poured into it. Pulling back once more again, she searched his face, taking in and memorizing every detail. Every small scar, every stray freckle, every crease in his skin as he smiled up to her in pure adoration. She swiped his tears away with her thumbs, leaning down to kiss his nose now.
"Look how big you've gotten Adrien, I can hardly believe it." She sighed out her disbelief. He chuckled through his tears, hands still gripping his mother firmly. He wished he'd never have to let go. "Your father was right, you've become a fine young man. So handsome and tall." She gushed to him. Adrien could only continue to stare up into the eyes of the woman who bore him, who gave him those emerald eyes and bright smile. Who left her kindhearted passion behind in his heart when she left. Emerald searched emerald as she ran her fingers through the soft, golden mop on his head in the same way his lady always did.
"Tell me everything. Are you in school? What kinds of things do you enjoy doing in your free time? Favorite foods? Do you have any pets? I want to hear about your friends- oh! Your father mentioned you have a girlfriend too, I want to hear all about her!" She babbled, leading Adrien to double over in laughter at his mother's seemingly endless questions. He would spend forever answering all of them if he could.
"Well, I am in school. I'm studying business to take over father's company. In my free time, I usually either hang out with my cat or my friends. When father finally allowed me to attend school I made some really good friends who I've had for a little over eight years now. Their names are Nino, Alya, and Marinette. Nino is a DJ, and a really talented one. He's dating Alya who is a huge internet personality, and a reporter with a popular blog. Then there's Marinette," Adrien took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "She's my girlfriend. We've been together for about two years now. She's amazing mother, I can't wait for you to meet her. She's a fashion designer, and she's really good at it. She's also a fantastic baker, her parent's run a bakery with the best sweets in Paris, you wouldn't believe it. She's so kind mother, always looking out for others and taking care of everyone. She's helped me through the roughest times of my life, and I am eternally indebted to her." He explained. His mother smiled lovingly down at him. She knew love when she saw it. He had grown into such a loving young man, with people who loved him back and it made her heart warm to know that he would end up okay, even without her presence.
"I am so happy you have found someone so special to have in your life. You deserve it my sweet boy- to have someone caring for you when you need it most. I am grateful that you have her." His mother replied wholeheartedly. Adrien beamed up at her.
"She was the one who brought father and I here today. She saw how distraught father was and brought us here for closure. She cares so much mother, you wouldn't believe." He revealed to her. Emelie sat there with her mouth hanging open.
"...she did all of this? She was the one who brought you back to me?" She questioned her son, who nodded in response.
"Can I introduce you to her? I want you to meet her mother, it would mean the world to me." He asked, his green eyes sparkling with excitement. Emelie let out a soft laugh.
"Please do. I want to meet the woman who made this all possible." She said. Adrien was quick to retreat back in to the portal to retrieve the mysterious girl. She couldn't wait to meet the woman who had her son's heart. The woman who helped him cope with the loss of his mother. The woman who gave her heart out and brought her husband and son to reunite with her whilst they struggled to grieve. The woman who gifted her little family closure at long last.
Adrien returned soon after, his hand tightly intertwined with a small blue- haired girl who sported a timid, yet kind smile as her son led her to the bedside. Emelie examined her appearance thoroughly just as she had done with her own son.
She was a beautiful young woman, pale skin with silky blue locks which rested at her shoulders. She was slim, but not skinny. Bright bluebell eyes that sparkled with wonder- and she had a breathtaking smile. She was beautiful. Emelie returned her smile as the blunette girl approached, releasing her son's hand as she did.
"It is an honor to meet you Mrs. Agreste." She spoke softly. Emelie shook her head and reached forward to take her hands.
"The honor is all mine Marinette. Thank you for taking such good care of my son over the years." Emelie praised as she watched tears well up in the eyes of the woman before her. "I cannot thank you enough for bringing my husband and son to me, what a tremendous blessing to see my son all grown up before I go." Emelie spoke, truly hoping Marinette could feel her sincere gratitude and love for her.
Marinette moved a hand away from Emelie's to bring it up to her mouth in a fruitless attempt to cover up the sob she let loose upon hearing the words. Emelie's brows furrowed in sympathy for Marinette.
"Don't cry sweet girl." The older woman cooed to the younger as she pulled her in for a warm hug. The girl sobbed into her shoulder, and Emelie smiled up to her son as if to say she approved, or that of all people to choose to love he had picked the right one. "Please take care of my baby. I know that you're exactly what he needs." Emelie said. Marinette raised her head to nod, and Emelie took the opportunity to wipe her tears away.
"Of course, I will. Always." Marinette promised the woman who was cradling her so gently. The woman whose love was the unintentional catalyst of this whole thing. The woman who was forced to leave her family behind. The woman whose love would live on through all of them and jumpstart the long winding road to recovery for all of them.
"Thank you, Marinette. I-" Emelie's praise was cut off by Bunnix whose head was now peeking through the burrow.
"Come on guys, mini- Adrien is on his way here. He can't see you." She urged. Marinette sat up and stepped back to nudge Adrein forward towards his mother. He bent down to press a kiss to her forehead.
"I love you Mother." He whispered before he took his leave, memorizing every detail of his mother's face in the final moments he would see her ever again.
"I love you my sweet boy. Remember to live your life to the fullest for me, keep your head up, and never lose sight of what is most important." She said as he stepped through the portal, his heart aching, and longing painfully in his chest for his mother already.
Then, as soon as the portal had opened it was shut, leaving them all in a deafening silence.
Before anyone could even utter a word, bowls were placed back over their heads, and they were ushered back to their timeline. They all listened to the sound of the portal closing, and they removed the cold metal bowls all while maintaining the intense silence that hung over them.
Gabriel was the first to crack, crumbling to his knees once again with gut wrenching sobs. Then Adrien was next, moving towards his father and wrapping his arms over the broken man in a tight embrace.
Marinette and Bunnix exchanged sad glances upon witnessing the sight of the men in front of them, completely riddled with emotion.
"I lost sight of what was important. I hurt you, and neglected you. You never deserved that. I let my emotions consume me and became obsessed with the prospect of brining your mother back to us when that was never the way it was meant to be." Gabriel admitted to his son for the first time ever. "I want things to change, if you'll allow it. If you'll allow it I'd like to build a stronger relationship with you. I want to be better, and rid myself of the obsession, and accept that she is just simply gone. I want to be there for you as a father once again, if you can find it within yourself to forgive me after everything I have put you through. What I have put everyone else through."
Adrien smiled through his tears, nodding in agreement.
"We can get through this together Father." was all he could manage to say in the moment. He released his father to stand, and he approached Marinette to bring her in for a bone- crushing hug. The blunette sobbing happily into his chest.
"Thank you for making this all possible Marinette. You're truly amazing."