A/N: I was going to take the week off, but then... Gabriel/Nathalie happened and I love them and I had to write this OMG!

Only she knew what a lie her last name was.

And honestly, she hated that fact.

Nathalie shut the door to her apartment, thankful the day was over. But mostly, that she was away from him.

Her chest felt tight. She tried in vain to breathe deeply, but she couldn't seem to catch her breath. Having your hope smashed hurt immensely. Having your heart broken on top of that was twice as painful. But the worst part of it all was knowing she shouldn't have let her heart get where it was in the first place.

Nathalie prided herself in keeping a level head. In letting rationality guide her. Yet, here she was, trapped in a predicament she knew full well she could have avoided. Like a fool, she hadn't.

She took a shuttering breath, feeling the strong walls that held back her emotions crumble. She had trained herself well on how to school her outward emotions, but here in the safety of her apartment, she let herself sink to the floor. And sob.

With the tears pouring from her eyes, she lifted her head to tug off her glasses. She wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand, then dabbed at her nose with the back of it. That's when she saw it.

The little, white butterfly.

It rested before her, wings slowly opening and closing. She placed her glasses on and stared, a new, dreadful realization coming to her. With such rampant emotions, he would know them.

All of them. Even the shamefully intimate ones.

She couldn't help but start up crying again.

"Nathalie."

"There is nothing to talk about, sir."

"Nathalie."

She turned to face him.

Only to be surprised at just how close he was.

She was silent, unwilling to speak unless spoken to. She knew anything she said could and would be used against her. He was talented that way. She admired it when dealing with less than cooperative people. She admired it when dealing with entitled socialites. She especially admired it when used on the Mayor of Paris or his wonderful wife.

She did not admire it when she was facing him off.

"Your last name betrays you."

She shrugged.

He waited for her to speak. She was certain he would realize she wasn't about to.

"I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for," she said.

"You don't believe that."

No, she didn't. But then again, they were talking about her and her emotions, not the fact that Gabriel was clinging to a wisp of a chance that he could get Emilie back.

Sadly, his capacity to love so deeply, to be so loyal to his love, was one of the many things she admired about him.

"Spit it out," he said.

"Spit what out?"

Gabriel's eyes narrowed.

Nathalie knew she couldn't play dumb with him. He knew she was far too smart for that. "You need to let her go."

"But there's a chance—"

"Gabriel," she said, her voice now stern and hard. "You have to let her go. This is not healthy for anyone. Adrien himself is learning to let go and move on. It's been over a year. This… this is not the way to handle a loss."

"Emilie is not lost."

"Gabriel."

There was a silence for a moment.

"I'm not saying any of this because of my emotions."

"I would never discredit you so."

She quirked a brow at him.

He quirked a brow back. "You are far too level-headed for that."

She was. Hence why it was such a shame she let her emotions run so rampant. Especially around this man. "Gabriel, I will say it again: this is not healthy. You are clinging to a woman who would have been dead had you not had the money to preserve her. You are destroying your relationship with your son. Your obsession with gaining the miraculous is all-consuming."

"It will be worth it when I get her back."

"When?" Nathalie challenged, raising her voice enough to gain a reaction from Gabriel. "How long does this have to go on before you realize that there is no end to this? You are not going to win this fight."

"You don't know that, Nathalie."

"I know that if you continue this behavior, you will see my two-week's notice and destroy your relationship with your son. Is that worth getting Emilie back?"

This forced Gabriel to pause.

"You're so focused on getting your wife back for your son that you are missing spending time with your son. You're missing the fact he has friends. You are missing the fact he has a crush on the young designer, and that she has a crush on him."

Gabriel's eyes opened wide at that.

Nathalie nodded. "It's clear as day if you watch their interactions. And you aren't there for him to help him through." Not that you would be much help. Your son had to get his obliviousness somewhere.

They stood there silently, the words hanging in the air.

"Emilie would be better at—"

"She is not here, Gabriel," Nathalie snapped, her emotions getting the better of her. "Nor will she be for the foreseeable future. You are. Do not let this time you have with your son disappear."

"Why do you think I'm so anxious to capture those miraculous? I need her back."

"No, you don't," Nathalie said, her voice suddenly weak and her heart hurting more than she could have possibly imagined. "What you need is to learn to let go."

"I can't."

Nathalie stared at him hard. "You mean you won't."

"Are you so adverse to having her back?"

"I am adverse to letting you destroy yourself and your relationships to do so."

Gabriel stared at her long and hard.

Nathalie took a breath to fortify herself. "You said you admire me for being level-headed," she finally answered. "So let me be the voice of reason, Gabriel. And please heed it: Emilie is gone. Do not try chasing after what you've lost only to lose all you have in the process." And with that, she spun on her heel and marched to the door. She'd said all she could say, and she was worn weary.

"Don't think I can't feel your emotions," he said just as she grabbed the door handle, ready to pull it open and walk out.

"I know you can," she countered. "But I'm adept to overriding them."

"You care very deeply," he observed.

She shrugged.

"I won't do you the disservice of accusing you of jealousy."

"I would hope you knew me better than that."

He held her gaze a long while longer. She didn't back down.

"I'm sorry that I cannot equal those feelings."

"I understand why," she replied. "Just as much as I understand I have no right to feel such things."

"Emotions are fickle things," Gabriel said.

Nathalie sighed. "Unfortunately." And with that, she walked out the door, letting it shut softly behind her.