Adrien wouldn't describe himself as a Scrooge. In fact he loved Christmas. Well he used to. For as long as he could remember Adrien had adored Christmas. His mother just made it so magical wearing tinsel in her hair or a brightly coloured Christmas jumper. But on Christmas night last year his mother left and Adrien just knew Christmas wouldn't be the same again.
Adrien went to bed like he did every night doing nothing special like he used to do. He didn't hang up his stocking or leave a croissant and a drink of milk out for Santa. Instead he checked the Ladyblog and after seeing his no new news about akuma's or Alya's advancements on finding out her identity Adrien curled up and went to sleep.
"Adrien!" A voice whispered in his ear. "Adrien, honey wake up." His eyes fluttered open to see an extremely familiar face. Her hair was long and golden. Her eyes were blazing emeralds. Her lips were pink and smooth. It was his mother.
"Mum?" Adrien gasped in disbelief. "What are you doing here?" His mother smiled slightly.
"I've come to warn you Adrien. This attitude to the festivities has got to stop. It can only cause harm and suffering for you and those that you love." Adrien began to protest.
"But it's not the same without you! What's the point? Father hates Christmas he only sees it as an excuse to build his fashion lines! How can not liking Christmas be bad?" His mother shushed him.
"Your Father doesn't hate Christmas. He's just busy you see. I must prove this to you Adrien. So tonight you will be visited by three spirits and I hope that you can get over this barrier you've built to shield yourself from the festivities. Goodbye Adrien." And then his mother faded before his eyes. Adrien tried to reach out to her.
"Mum! No don't go wait!" His eyes flickered open and he glanced around the room it was empty except for Plagg sleeping lazily on the pillow next to him. "It was just a dream." Adrien whispered to himself. "It was just a bad dream." He curled back up and fell asleep once again.
"Adrien." Another voice whispered in his ear. "Adrien wake up." The boy groaned and rolled over. "Geez Adrien wake up before I flip the bed." His eyes flickered open to see a girl standing over his bed.
She wore black glasses, her hair was multiple shades of red and brown and she was grinning in a way that Adrien knew all too well.
"Alya?!" Adrien shouted. "What are you doing in my room? How did you get here?" She laughed.
"I'm not Alya! I'm the Ghost of Christmas past!" Now it was Adrien's turn to laugh.
"So let me guess? You're going to take me back in time now to show me how happy I was at Christmas in the past?" The girl nodded her head.
"Yep!" She grabbed Adrien's arm. "Let's go!"
"That was a joke." Adrien whispered before his room disappeared and he was suddenly downstairs in his lounge.
The room was bright and full of lights. A tree sat in one corner covered in lights, tinsel and baubles. Snow glistened on the window ledges outside and banners and more lights hung along the walls. In the middle of the room sat three people. There was a man, a woman and a little boy of about three.
"Is that?" Alya nodded.
"Yes Adrien that is you." The little boy ran up to his mother.
"Mamma, can I open my presents now?" His excitement was written all over his face. The woman smiled and nodded.
"Yes, Adrien you can." The boy face lit up and he ran into the middle of the room and began to open his presents.
"This one is from me." Gabriel handed his son a gift. The little boys tore open the brightly coloured paper to see some neatly folded clothes. "They're from my new line." Gabriel explained. "You're a big boy now Adrien and I think you have the looks to become the main face of the Agreste fashion line." Adrien's mother raised her eyebrows.
"Gabriel I really don't think-"She was cut off.
"I know what I'm doing. He will be great." His mother shook her head.
"Gabriel, that fashion industry is no place for a child! I started modelling as a teenager and was still put under strict pressure. You can't seriously be thinking about doing this!" The little boy and walked back over to the pile of presents and was examining them deciding which to open next.
She didn't want me to be a model. Adrien thought realising why his mother never came to any of his shoots before she disappeared. She wanted to grow up out of the public eye. He turned to Alya-Ghost who was adjusting her brightly coloured leg warmers.
Adrien hadn't noticed what she was wearing though as his father's son he probably should have done. She was wearing a top that was in the colours of her usual checked shirt. It had off the shoulder sleeves and small straps keeping it up. She wore a blue skirt much like her usual jeans but it was poofy. She was wearing leg warmers- something Adrien never thought he would see and heels in black and white. It was a distinctive outfit from the 80's- an outfit from the past.
"How is this supposed to make me like Christmas?" he asked. "It's just reminding me how I got into all those years of modelling." Alya-Ghost held up a finger.
"Just wait."
Baby Adrien ran up to his parents. "Mummy, Daddy I went with Nathalie to buy you a present! I hope you like it!" His parents opened the small red and black boxes Adrien gave them. Inside were identical brooches except one was purple and one was blue. They both sparkled magically. "I got them off an old Chinese man in the street. He said they were called Miracle Stones! He said that your's was the Miracle Stone of the Peacock mamma and Daddy's is a butterfly! He said they give you special powers!" His father laughed.
"Oh Adrien what an imagination you have! There's no such thing as special powers!" His mother shot him a glare.
"I think it' nice." She said firmly. "How lovely of you to buy us present Adrien! Thank you!" Her face was so full of pride at how Adrien went out of his way to buy them a present.
"Do you see now?" Alya-Ghost asked. Adrien shrugged.
"So my mum liked me giving people presents. Why should it make me like Christmas though?" Alya-Ghost shook her head.
"This trip has not taught you anything. There is no more I can do. Goodbye Adrien." She disappeared in a puff of smoke, the scene before him began to fade.
"Wait!" Adrien yelled sitting up in bed his arm outstretched. Plagg groaned and opened one eye from his place on the pillow.
"Hey kid go back to sleep! It's the middle of the night!" Adrien lay back down and was soon asleep again.
"Hey dude!" A person was prodding him in the side. "Hey dude wake up!" Adrien opened his eyes to see Nino by his bed.
"Nino?" The boy's eyes grew wide. "Don't tell be you're another one of those weird ghosts too!" The boy nodded.
"I am the Ghost of Christmas Present dude! And that 'weird ghost' you were talking about before is my girlfriend so be cool bro!" Adrien laughed.
"Ghosts have relationships?"
"You bet we do bro! Now give me a fist bump cos we're going on a journey!" Adrien touched fists with the boy and they were suddenly in his father's study.
"Do you think Adrien will like it Nathalie?" Gabriel asked turning to his assistant. "I don't want him to feel bad spending Christmas without his mother." Nathalie nods.
"I'm sure he will sir." Adrien's eyes grew wide.
"Father's bought me a present?" He turned to Nino-Ghost. "He's not bought me one since he got me those clothes when I was little." Nino nodded.
"You better believe it bro!" But then Adrien remembered something.
"It probably won't be a good present though." He sighed. "He's only got me a pen for my last few birthdays. Why should Christmas be any different?" Nino shook his head.
"Cheer up dude! Just because you've got a lame dadio doesn't mean no one else cares about you!" They disappeared again and reappeared in another room. The first thing that registered in Adrien's mind was that it was pink. Very pink. A girl sat at the sewing machine working away.
"And done!" Marinette announced holding up a Christmas hat. "I hope Adrien will like it!" Adrien smiled.
"Marinette made me a gift?" Adrien whispered. "She's so awesome! I never thought to get her something! But what do you get kind, wonderful Marinette?" Adrien sighed. "I should know this! She's my friend! Ugh why is this so hard! This is why I hate Christmas!"
"Dude! Mari's not the only one that got you a present! Look!" They appear in a room full of posters and music. Adrien recognised it as Nino's attic bedroom. Nino stood at his DJ deck and was obviously creating something.
"I finished it!" He removed his headphones and walks over to his computer. "The mix tape I made for Adrien's Christmas present is finished!" Adrien's mouth dropped.
"Nino made me a present too? Now I really feel bad! I haven't thought to get anyone a present!" He ran his fingers through his hair in despair.
"There's still one last person dude!" Nino-Ghost told him and they disappeared once again.
They appeared on a rooftop. A young girl in red and black sat on the edge of the building waiting for someone.
"I hope I see Cat Noir tonight. It's Christmas tomorrow and I've not given him a present yet!" Ladybug whispers to herself.
"Ladybug got me a present?" Adrien was shocked. "Oh course she would! Why didn't I think to get her one? I'm so stupid!" Nino nodded.
"That's everyone dude! You see? Everyone wants you to have a cool Christmas! So why don't you like it bro?" Adrien shook his head.
"I didn't even think to get anyone a present. I bet they all think I'm so selfish! I am selfish!"
Adrien's eyes flashed open. "It's too late to get anyone anything! Why do the stores have to be closed at Christmas? Ugh!" He lay back down on his bed and fell asleep again almost instantly.
"A- Adrien wake up." A quiet voice whispered in his ear. "A- Adrien please up wake- I mean up please wake- I mean please wake up!" Adrien could tell with out opening his eyes who the final ghost would be.
"Marinette?" He opened his eyes and he was right. The girl shook her head.
"I'm not M- Marinette. I'm the Future Christnas Ghost of... No, the Of Ghost Future Christmas... No... The Ghost of Christmas Future!" Adrien nodded it was kind of cute how she was messing up her words.
"Let's go to the future then!" He beamed. Mari-Ghost raised her eyebrows.
"Adrien it isn't a good future! It's not something to be happy about!" She grabbed his arm and they disappeared.
Adrien almost didn't recognise Paris. It was completely different. The street were dark and empty, many building were burnt out or had their windows smashed.
"What's happened?" Adrien looked around. "How did this happen? I wouldn't let this happen! Ladybug wouldn't let this happen! What going on?" Marinette nodded.
"That's what I'm show gonna you- gonna show you!" They appear in a rounded room in semi-darkness. A figure moves in the darkness. As Adrien's eyes adjusted he could make out more of his surrounding. A girl lay tied to a wall and two figures moved around her. The girls head moved and Adrien recognised her face instantly.
"Ladybug!" He shouted in shock. "What's happening to her? Where am I? Why aren't I trying to save her?" He turned to Mari who was looking at Ladybug with sad eyes.
"Just wait."
"So Ladybug I have defeated you. You are nothing against the power of two!" Hawkmoth's deep voice echoed around the room. Tears run down her face.
"Please." She whispers. "Don't hurt the innocent people! What did they ever do to hurt you? Kill me but don't hurt Paris!"
"Who said we were going to hurt Paris?" The other person said with a short laugh. "We're going to hurt the whole world!"
Adrien knew that voice. He couldn't believe it. "That's me!" He cried. "What am I doing? How did I get like this?"
"After you lost your Christmas spirit Ladybug tried to give you a gift. You rejected it. It caused a big argument between you both. You ended up cutting off your friendship forever and you joined Hawkmoth."
"No." Adrien shook his head. "I would never-"
"So Ladybug." Cat Noir grinned maliciously. "Any last words before we destroy you and take your Miraculous?" Ladybug took a deep breath.
"I want to say... That I forgive you."
"She forgives me?" Adrien's face softened.
"You may have destroyed Paris and plan to do much more Kitty but we were friends once and I forgive you."
"Adrien. It's time to go." Mari-Ghost placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Not yet!" Adrien yelled but the scene was already fading.
"No!" Adrien yelled sitting up in bed. "This can't happen! I have to change this!" He jumped out of bed and ran downstairs to his father a study.
"Dad! Dad!" He shouted his father turned around in his chair to face him.
"Adrien it's very late." He frowned. "I hope you have a good reason for disturbing me." Adrien nodded.
"It's Christmas Dad and I've not got my friends and presents!" Gabriel shook his head.
"Adrien the stores are closed you know that. It's too late to buy presents now." The boy shook his head.
"Why not use what we have?" He sat down across from his father. "My friend Marinette is a budding fashion designer. She really good too! She won that hat contest do you remember? As a gift from me do you think think you could take her on as an intern?" Gabriel smiled.
"You're acting like your mother used to over presents Adrien. And yes I will take your friend on as an intern u have seen her talent and think she will be worth my time."
Adrian grinned. "And you're friends with that famous DJ right?" His dad nods. "Could you arrange a meeting with him for my friend Nino?" Gabriel nods.
"That's sounds easy."
"And my friend Alya's a journalist. She runs her own blog. I'm not sure what to get her..."
"How about I fund her blog? I could sponsor it?"
Adrien nods. "That would be amazing dad!"
Adrien was surprised his dad was being so kind. It wasn't like his father at all. It was like Gabriel had had a visit from the Christmas Ghost's too.
"And I've got one more friend that I want to get a gift for. You've got that new Ladybug and Cat Noir line coming out in the Spring right?" Gabriel nodded again. "Could I give her something from that?" Gabriel nodded. "Thanks dad! You're the best!" Adrien hugged him and was about to leave the room before turning and smiling at his father. "Merry Christmas Dad." He smiled.
Merry Christmas Everyone! Thanks I reading my fic! I hope you enjoyed it!
Until next time... Stay Miraculous!