Sunlight filtered in between the curtains of the hospital window. It seemed very inappropriate to Gabriel Agreste, given the circumstance, as he sat by his wife's side whilst she slept in the hospital bed.
He'd found her again, many years ago, thanks to Ladybug and Chat Noir, though he had not manage to steal their miraculouses, as he had planned. Instead, the heroes had discovered the motivation behind his plan and found another way to return his wife to him.
Now he was losing her again, but in a completely different way.
She had dementia. It had come on suddenly a few years ago, and Gabriel only could watch as his wife's condition deteriorated before his very eyes. She was sleeping at the moment, and Gabriel silently prayed to any force that he could think of that she would wake up and have one of her better days. They were, after all, expecting guests that afternoon.
He seemed to be wishing a lot lately, Gabriel thought as he pinched his nose. Every day he was becoming more and more of a dreamer; like his son. Of course, he had searched the entire globe for a cure, but modern medicine was simply not advanced enough to fix this. So instead, he was reduced to prayers and dreams like a madman. Grumbling and rolling his eyes, he pictured his wife chiding him like she used to whenever he got too serious about life.
Something clinked in his pocket and he reached in to pull it out. It was the butterfly brooch from his days as Papillon. He hadn't even realized that he'd put it in his pocket earlier.
After his wife had returned, Nooroo had respectfully asked Gabriel to put him back to rest and return his miraculous to the Guardian of the Kwami. Gabriel did as Nooroo asked and returned the Kwami to its dormant state, but he had been unable to bring himself to return the jewel. It would have been difficult to explain to the Guardian how he had come across the miraculous. By the time he'd made up his mind to return the Miraculous through the mail, he'd received word that the old man had died and that the kwami box had been passed on to the next Guardian, and Gabriel had no idea where or how to find them.
He turned the brooch over in his hands, contemplating. He was tempted to awaken the Kwami and demand that the small creature find a way to bring his wife back again, but he knew there was no point. There simply wasn't a cure for someone when they got too old. At nearly 70, Gabriel was often surprised that he didn't show more signs of his age, especially with all the stress of his youth. Yet here he was, sitting perfectly healthy at the bedside of his dying wife.
His brooding was interrupted by the sound of the door opening, and he looked up to see a small toddler standing in the doorway, sucking her thumb and looking at him with timid wonderment.
Gabriel studied the child for a moment. She didn't look any older than three years old with two high pigtails that gave her a childish look. As her brilliant blue eyes locked with his greyer-blue ones, Gabriel realized that this was most likely his son's eldest child, Emma.
He should have recognized the blonde hair, which was so similar to his when he had been a younger man. And the child's blue eyes bore a striking resemblance to his daughter-in-law, Marinette's.
He had been more than a little skeptical at first about his son's relationship with Marinette, but the two had been good to one another and had settled into a relationship, not unlike Gabriel's and his wife when they were young. The two of them were also very successful. Adrien had become a world-renowned physicist, whilst Marinette worked as a top-grade designer in his company. He hadn't mentioned it to her yet, but Gabriel had actually been considering leaving his company to Marinette once he fully retired from the industry.
Presently, he turned his attention back to the girl who was most likely his granddaughter. He'd only seen her twice in her life, once shortly after she was born, and once when her younger brother Louis had been born. He had the feeling that Emma was unlikely to remember either visit. Gabriel hadn't really wanted to involve himself too much in their family life since Adrien was currently doing a far better job raising his children than Gabriel had ever done.
Emma mumbled something too quiet for Gabriel's old ears to pick up. It seemed his health wasn't as perfect as he thought after all.
"Take that thumb out of your mouth and speak up," he snapped, regretting it slightly as she flinched, though it seemed to do the job as she did as she was told and asked.
"Are you my grandpa?" She asked, trying to sound confident despite the fact her knees were trembling slightly.
"That depends, are you Emma?" he asked her. The girl nodded. "Then yes, I am your grandfather."
A crooked smile broke on her face showing a row of small baby teeth. Then, without waiting to be invited in, she ran into the room and stopped short in front of Gabriel, hands clutched behind her back.
"Mommy and Daddy are coming, but Louis got hungry so they went to feed him. I waited, but then got bored so I came to find you!" she told him proudly.
Gabriel shook his head slightly at the girl's boldness, she reminded him a lot of Adrien at that age.
"Is that Grandma?" she asked, pointing to the hospital bed.
"Yes it is," he told her, "but she's sleeping right now so you must be quiet."
"Okay," Emma replied with a stage whisper, giggling as she did. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to his hand.
Gabriel looked down and saw the butterfly miraculous. He'd completely forgotten that he hadn't put it away when Emma came in. "It's my brooch," he said holding it up for her to see. "Don't touch though," he added as she reached for it. He wasn't sure if her touching it would awaken Nooroo or not. "It's very old."
"Where'd you get it?" she asked.
"I found it," Gabriel replied ambiguously. There was no need to tell her that he'd stolen it all those years ago. "But it's a secret brooch, so you mustn't tell anyone I have it."
Emma nodded, but looked like she was about to ask more questions, which, quite frankly, Gabriel didn't feel like answering. He cast his attention around the room for something to distract the little girl with. A flash of red from the girl's ear caught his eye.
"I didn't notice your earrings. They're very fascinating, may I see?" he asked reaching his hand out to her. He briefly recalled asking Ladybug the same thing years ago, but this time, his intent was more curiosity than the wish for power.
Instead of flinching back like Ladybug had done, Emma leaned forward and pressed a finger behind her ear to show off her ladybug-patterned earrings. "Do you like them?" she asked, "Mommy made them for me to look like hers, because I think her earrings are so pretty!"
"They are quite beautiful," he told her.
"Do you wanna know a secret?" she asked him, then continued without waiting for him to reply. "I think Mommy and Daddy are Ladybug and Chat Noir."
If Gabriel had been drinking something he probably would have spit it out just then, like something out of a comedy. Instead, his eyes widened until they nearly popped out of their sockets, and a quiet strangled noise came out of his throat, which he turned quickly into a cough.
"What makes you think that?" he asked, when he'd recovered enough to speak. Out of everyone who he had suspected was behind the masks of Paris' two most famous superheroes, he did not expect them to be his son and daughter-in-law.
"Well they're always running off when there's trouble," she replied, "Daddy says it's because they want to help people who might be in the way of the attacks, but I think it's because they're heroes!"
"That doesn't seem like an awful lot of evidence," he chided, calming down a little. Of course, a three-year-old wasn't going to be able to unmask the Heroes of Paris when the media and police had been unable too for years. "Perhaps it is just as your father says. He was always rushing in to help people when he was little." It certainly sounded like something Adrien would do.
"But also Ladybug hasn't been seen a lot lately," Emma protested. "And Mommy's says my new baby brother Hugo will be here soon, and she's so big! Ladybug wouldn't go out to save the day when she was having a baby unless she had to!"
Gabriel sighed. The girl did have a point. Ladybug had been absent from the news lately, and had been away from the limelight previously around the same time that Marinette had been pregnant with Emma and Louis. Not that Paris had to worry. Heroes like Rena Rouge, Carpace, and Queen Bee helped to protect it now. So crime had been at an all time low for the last 20 years. An uncomfortable feeling settled in his stomach as he thought of the possibility that he'd fought with his son and daughter-in-law multiple times when they were younger. "What do you know of Ladybug and Chat Noir?" he asked, trying to change the subject.
"They're superheroes!" Emma replied triumphantly. "They save Paris from all sorts of evil. Teacher says that they used to fight against a bad guy named Papillon."
"That's right they did," Gabriel agreed, feeling a little downtrodden at how his alter-ego would be judged by history. "Papillon was a very dangerous villain, who disappeared mysteriously."
If Emma was afraid of what he'd just said, she gave no sign of it. Instead, she looked at the brooch then back at him. "He must have had something very bad happen to him," she said matter-of-factly after a moment.
"What makes you say that?" Gabriel asked in surprise.
"Well Daddy always says that no one is born good or bad, they just make choices, based on what they're given in life," Emma replied.
Gabriel huffed slightly at her words; of course Adrien would say something so emotional. The way Emma made it sound, his son had grown up to be a lot like his wife and he couldn't have been prouder. "It's true, Papillon probably had a lot going on in his life, and that's why he became a villain." It felt strangely comforting to be able to admit that he hadn't been perfect to his granddaughter, even if she didn't realize it.
"I hope he's happy now, wherever he is," Emma said.
"You know, I think he is," Gabriel replied, feeling a real smile creep onto his lips for the first time in what seemed like forever. "How about this," he continued, "when you're older I'll give you my brooch. I think out of all the people I know, you would deserve it most. But you have to keep it a secret alright?"
A wide smile broke across Emma's face and she wriggled a little in excitement. "Okay!"
Just then, the sheets of the hospital bed rustled a little and Gabriel's wife stirred. "I hear voices," she said in a frail voice, "have I got visitors?"
"Yes dear," Gabriel replied, pocketing the brooch and turning his attention to his wife. "Your granddaughter is here to see you, and I imagine Adrien and rest of his family won't be far behind."
As if his words had summoned them, there was a knock on the door. Gabriel got up to answer it and found Adrien holding baby Louis in one arm and clutching a very pregnant Marinette with his other hand. Nathalie was also there, still ever his faithful assistant. Her hair was slightly greyer than he remembered, but she seemed to be looking happy at least.
"Sorry," his son said, looking a little worn out, "we lost track of Emma."
"Well, it seems you don't have to worry anymore," Gabriel said. "You've got a very sensible girl. She came up here and found me." He waved his hand to Emma, who was now very excitedly introducing herself to his wife.
A relieved smile broke out on Adrien's face, and he went over to where Emma was and scooped her up. Emma let out a delighted squeal. "Daddy! Daddy!"
"Adrien, look at how much you've grown! And so many children too, you must be getting married soon right?"
Gabriel's smile dimmed a little at his wife's remark. Although his wish seemed to have been answered, and she was a little clearer in the head, she still couldn't remember that her child had been married for almost 5 years now. Still, he supposed not everything was going to be perfect, and that he should count his blessings. He had a great many of them as of late.
Gabriel watched as Adrien hugged his mother. "It's good to see you too mom." He smiled as a single tear fell down his son's cheek.
"How would you like to go to lunch with the family dear?" he asked his wife, trying to distract them.
She smiled, the same smile that always seemed to light up whatever room she was in. "That sounds lovely," she replied. "Nathalie, would you help me get dressed?" she asked.
Gabriel's assistant nodded and took a step into the room. The rest of the family left to allow the two women to get to work. Gabriel noted that Emma was now clutching the hem of his jacket and smiling at him. He sighed slightly. It seemed as though he had inadvertently become his granddaughter's new favourite person. Perhaps he shouldn't have agreed to pass on the butterfly brooch to her. It had been a bit of an impulsive decision, but still, it had felt right at the time.
A few minutes later, Gabriel's wife emerged from the room with Nathalie. Gabriel was once again taken aback by her beauty. She was wearing a simple turquoise sundress and a shawl that reminded him of a peacock, the same bird which his wife had personified when she had been a hero of Paris. "You look lovely," he declared. She smiled and planted a kiss on his cheek.
Emma made a gagging sound and Gabriel chuckled in spite of himself. "Come on everyone," he said, "let's go."
A few hours later, Emma sat in the car with Louis and her mom and dad as they drove back home.
"So, did you like your Grandma and Grandpa?" her Dad asked.
"Yeah!" she replied. "Grandpa is very funny!"
"Well, there's a word I would never have used to describe him," he said, more to his wife than to her.
"Well, I like him!" Emma said. "He said he liked my earrings!"
Her mom looked back at her and smiled. "That is a really nice thing for him to say," she said. "Perhaps next time you should bring him one of the butterfly pictures you like to draw."
"Bu-fly! Bu-fly!" Louis babbled slapping his tiny hands on his thighs. Mom said that he would be starting to say bigger words soon, although Emma wasn't quite sure what she meant by that. All Louis had been able to do so far was say things like 'Mommy', and 'Daddy', or 'Bu-fly' after he had seen her pictures.
"You were both on your best be-flavour today, purr-haps we cone go for some ice cream if you still have room after lunch?" Dad asked, causing Emma to giggle, and Mom to roll her eyes and sigh with a smile.
"Yes please!" Emma shouted.
Her Dad turned the car down the next street towards one of their favourite ice cream shops.
"So, what did you and grandpa talk about when we were looking for you?" her mom inquired.
"We talked about Ladybug and Chat Noir!' Emma replied with an excited grin. "They're the best superheroes!"
Her mom smiled and blushed slightly, whilst her dad gave her a thumbs up from the driver's seat. "That's right, they certainly are!" he grinned. Her mom ducked her head and began to laugh.
Emma didn't tell them that she thought they were Ladybug and Chat Noir, nor did she tell them about the secret brooch that her Grandpa had. She was almost 4 now, perhaps for her next birthday her Grandpa would give her the brooch.
She swung her legs back and forth in anticipation of her ice cream, and watched as a butterfly kept pace with the car for a few moments. Even if he didn't, Emma could wait.
She was very good at being patient.