Author's Note:

I do not own any of these characters.

"Join me, son." Hawk Moth's words were cold and calculating as Adrien stared at his mother's motionless body through the glass. He looked up at Hawk Moth who had his hand extended for Adrien to take.

Tears were streaming down Adrien's face as his thoughts ran wild. Father is Hawk Moth. Mother is not missing, but in some kind of kwami-induced sleep. If I join Hawk Moth, it'll break Ladybug's heart. I'll never be able to look any of my friends in the eye again after helping the person who akumatized them. Mother can be revived. Father's done all of this so I can have my mother back. Ladybug doesn't really feel the same way about me as I do for her. My friends never need to know Hawk Moth was my father or that I helped him. I've become good at keeping secrets. Hawk Moth doesn't know I'm Cat Noir. I could transform and stop him right now. I'd never get mother back if I did. I miss mother.

"I... I don't want to hurt anymore. I miss mother."

"Take my hand son. We can defeat Ladybug and Cat Noir together. We can get our wish to have Emilie back."

Adrien took Hawk Moth's hand. "We've already gotten half of the job done. Plagg, Claws Out!"

Hawk Moth's eyes widened. "So, I was right. But, then I saw Adrien and Cat Noir together. Very clever son. I'm proud of you for being able to throw me off your trail."

"You did an excellent job of throwing us off your trail when you akumatized yourself."

"One of the advantages of my miraculous... I don't have to stay transformed for the akuma to still be active."

"So, now that you know I'm Cat Noir. What's the plan for saving mother?"

"Do you still have feelings for Ladybug?"

"Yes... even though I know she doesn't feel the same about me."

"Then, I'll give you the option of trying to persuade her to join us or to take her miraculous without her permission."

"I think I have an idea..." Cat Noir grinned widely, as did Hawk Moth.

"Volpina, I am Hawk Moth."

"I know. I've been waiting for a chance to help you again. What do you need?"

"You're going to kidnap Adrien Agreste. The real Adrien, not an illusion of him being kidnapped. He is helping us now, so you won't have to worry about him trying to escape. Get him, and then allow Ladybug to rescue him. He'll do the rest."

"Do I have to let her defeat me, or just run away and leave Adrien with her?"

"Let her defeat you. Otherwise, she might not stay with Adrien after rescuing him."

"Let's do this!" Lila was enveloped in black smoke and turned into her all-to-familiar Volpina form. Since it was a school day, Adrien was already nearby when she attacked. Volpina landed behind him in the school courtyard, making sure his kidnapping was very visible. "You're coming with me, pretty boy!"

Adrien cried for help as the majority of the student body watched him disappear up into the air and over the roof. Teens were running in every direction, but two of them were running with great intent. Alya ran out of the building and in the direction Volpina had carried Adrien. Why is it always the Eiffel Tower? she thought. Marinette ran into the library to transform.

Alya captured Ladybug flying over to the Eiffel Tower using her yoyo and then running up the side before she had to stop filming and try to get to the top.

Ladybug crested the floor where Volpina and Adrien were located. She held up her finger to her lips to signal Adrien to keep quiet. There were four Volpinas gathered around Adrien and she didn't know which one was the real Volpina.

"I don't believe you!" Adrien shouted.

"It's true. I heard it from Hawk Moth himself," the Volpina at Adrien's 8 o'clock said.

"You're lying, as always. You might as well give up before Ladybug and Cat Noir get here!"

"Look, you're going to help us whether you want to or not," the Volpina at Adrien's 2 o'clock said.

"I'll never help you!"

"You will. You already are," smirked the Volpina at Adrien's 5 o'clock.

Ladybug had heard enough. She noticed that even though different Volpinas were talking, Adrien consistently responded to the Volpina at his 11 o'clock. She lassoed that Volpina with her yoyo and spun her around like a top all the way over to where she had come out from hiding. She broke the fox-themed necklace which contained the akuma. A very dizzy Volpina dropped to her knees and reverted back into Lila just as Alya exited the elevator with phone in hand.

"Ah! I missed it." Alya whined as she saw Ladybug release the purified akuma. "Can I get an interview?"

"Maybe later. Can you take Lila back to school? I need to talk to Adrien about what Volpina had said to him."

"S-Sure." Alya looked perplexed and kicked herself for not getting there faster in order to hear what Volpina had said.

After Alya and Lila left on the elevator, Ladybug walked over to Adrien, who was still shaking with tears coming down his cheeks. "It's okay. She's gone. You're safe now."

"T-Thanks, Ladybug," Adrien said between sniffles. "I still can't believe what she said. And then she actually thought I would help her willingly. It's a lie. It has to be!"

"What did she tell you?"

"She said that Hawk Moth was the one who kidnapped my mother and that he had been holding her for ransom. That... That he was tired of her and was going to just go ahead and kill her if I didn't help."

"Oh, Adrien! I'm so sorry. I hope it's not true. But, I'd be remiss if I didn't check it out and try to save your mother. Do you have any other details?"

Ladybug landed on top of the building Adrien told her supposedly housed his mother. Cat Noir landed in front of her. "Hello Bugaboo! Miss me?"

"Stop playing around and calling me Bugaboo! Supposedly a lady was kidnapped by Hawk Moth and is being held here."

"Do you think it's a trap?"

"Likely. But we need to check it out anyway... just in case. You circle around to the other side."

"I'm on it."

Cat Noir left Ladybug and ran to the other side of the building. He jumped to the ground and dropped his transformation, removing his ring so as not to be lectured by Plagg. Ladybug was working her way around the other side of the building when she saw Adrien run up to it and inside.

"Adrien! Wait!" It was too late. He was already inside. Throwing caution to the wind, she leapt down and burst through the same door Adrien had entered. She was greeted with the sight of Hawk Moth holding Adrien at arm's length while Adrien swung at him furiously. Hawk Moth grinned widely at Ladybug and pressed a button on a remote. The entire building was shut up tight.

"Don't even try to call for Cat Noir. Even he can't get in here with his Cataclysm. All of the entrances are blocked with double-layered steel panels, both inside and outside."

Ladybug scanned the room and found no traces of Emilie Agreste. "So! It was just a trap after all. Emilie Agreste isn't here."

"No. She's not. But I do have her. That part was true."

"You son of a..." Adrien was thrown by Hawk Moth and rolled across the floor. Ladybug jumped between them to protect Adrien.

"Adrien? Are you okay?"

"Ow... I... guess," Adrien said trying to act out of breath until Ladybug returned her attention to Hawk Moth.

"Release Emilie Agreste, right now!" Ladybug thundered as she turned her attention away from Adrien.

"Make me!"

Ladybug took a defensive position and didn't notice Adrien coming up behind her. Before she could react, Adrien grabbed both of her earrings and her transformation fell.

"Marinette!"

"Adrien! What? Why?"

"I-I'm sorry. I never imagined you were Ladybug. If I had, I would've done this differently. I swear. But, I need my mother. I miss her more than you can ever imagine. I have to get her back. I have to help my father."

"Your father?"

Hawk Moth dropped his transformation. "That's correct, Miss Dupain-Cheng. It appears all of our lives were intertwined and none of us knew it."

Adrien walked up to Gabriel and extended his hand. "Just what you need, my Cat Miraculous and Marinette's Ladybug Miraculous."

"Y-Your Cat Miraculous?" Marinette was now doubled over. Not only had her crush betrayed her, but apparently he was also her partner.

"Sorry, Bugaboo." Adrien hung his head and looked away, unwilling to see the hurt on Marinette's face, knowing he had not only betrayed his partner, but one of his friends and the nicest girl he knew.

"You see, Miss Dupain-Cheng, it was Adrien's idea to use himself as bait given how you almost gave up your miraculous the last time Volpina pretended to kidnap him. He knew he had to have it not be an illusion this time, so he could get you to come here, into our trap. I knew once he and I were separated, that you'd get between us and try to protect him. You played your part perfectly for us. Thank you."

"You can't make the wish. There will be a price to pay. You could save Emilie, but at the cost of someone else."

"Don't you think I know how to word my wish so that no one I know will get hurt?"

"There's no guarantee."

Gabriel had put on the ring and earrings after taking off his broach. He turned around and Marinette saw that he was holding the Miraculous Book.

She smirked. "Ha! It's encoded. Only a guardian can read it and you need the special incantation to be able to transform and get your wish."

Gabriel took out his cell phone and held it up, jiggling it a little side to side. "Ever hear of Google Translate? I love this app. In camera mode, you hold it over what you want translated, and the words you need magically appear in the same place as the words you can't read." He mumbled a few other words that Marinette couldn't make out. In a brilliant flash of colors, Gabriel was transformed and uttered his wish with both and anxious Marinette and a hopeful Adrien watching. "I wish to be transported back in time to before the Peacock Miraculous was damaged."

A bright flash and Gabriel was gone. Gabriel found himself in an old temple surrounded by guardians. They began to yell at him in Chinese. He yelled back, "I'm here to keep the Peacock Miraculous from getting damaged!"

The guardians began to chase him and he fled, fighting off guardian after guardian, looking desperately for the miraculous. He knocked one guardian into a lampstand. The lampstand fell over and the lamp burst into flames. Unfortunately, next to it were curtains. The fire spread rapidly.

Gabriel continued running through the temple as the guardians were now concentrating on trying to stop the fire. He came into large room with shelves built into the walls and noticed jars with pictures of various animals. He came across one he recognized, a jar with a butterfly painted onto it. He smashed the jar and retrieved the broach. He put it on and transformed into Hawk Moth. He immediately created and akuma and kept it close by so he could akumatize someone if they came across him.

As he continued looking for the jar with the peacock painted on it, a very young Wang Fu burst into the room. Hawk Moth grinned at him as the akuma flew into his staff. "Torcher, I am Hawk Moth. You must defend me as I complete my quest."

"Yes, Hawk Moth!" Torcher followed Hawk Moth through the room and torched any other guardian who happened to enter the room trying to stop Hawk Moth.

"Finally!" Hawk Moth screamed with joy as he found the Peacock Miraculous. "Now, to keep you safe and hide you away so no one can find you!"

As Hawk Moth and Torcher fled through the temple, Torcher continued to set rooms and guardians on fire. As they approached the exit, the last guardian, not akumatized, who had gotten the Dragon Miraculous and transformed, met them at the exit with sword in hand. Hawk Moth fought him with his cane and Torcher tried as hard as he could to set the hero on fire. The sword struck Hawk Moth and the Peacock Miraculous, damaging both of them.

Hawk Moth ripped off the hero's necklace, throwing it across the garden and forcing the hero back into a civilian. He fled leaving Torcher to immolate former hero. As he hid in a nearby residence and watched out the window, Torcher looked around. He willed for the akuma to flee the young guardian and purify itself. Wang Fu was left standing there, facing the still burning temple, and with all his memories of what had happened, since Hawk Moth had removed the akuma. Wang Fu fell to his knees and sobbed in front of the charred remains of the friend who had just tried to stop them.

Hawk Moth dropped his transformation and looked over the Peacock Miraculous. "It's damaged," Nooroo said. Gabriel just removed the broach, causing Nooroo to vanish.

It's all my fault. None of this would have happened if I hadn't made that wish. Literally, me making the wish set everything in motion. How can I face Adrien now? Now that I know we'll never get Emilie back. Now that I know when I leave here, I'm just going to return to the world I left with no changes what so ever.

Gabriel found a clay jar and put the miraculouses inside. He buried the jar and then was enveloped in light.

Gabriel returned to the building where Adrien and Marinette were still waiting. His countenance fell as he looked into his son's eyes. "I... I was wrong."

Adrien grabbed his father and hugged him tight. "You tried. That's all I could ask for." Adrien looked over his father and noticed the gash on his leg. "Your leg!"

"It's okay, son. It's just a flesh wound. It'll heal."

Marinette looked around hesitantly still worried that she or Adrien could drop dead at any moment. "Do you know what the price was?"

"Knowledge."

"Knowledge? How can knowledge be a price for a wish?"

"Because, I now know that I'm the sole person responsible for everything... because I made that wish... The price was Emilie," he finally conceded. "If I hadn't made that wish, the Peacock Miraculous would never have been damaged, it never would have hurt Emilie, I never would have tried to get the Ladybug and Cat Miraculouses, and I never would have made that wish." Gabriel fell to his knees and let out an inhuman wail.

"It's a closed loop..." Marinette whispered, still unsure if that was really the only price. Adrien fell onto his father and began wailing with him. Marinette's heart broke for them. Adrien had paid a price also. He had to live with the fact that his betrayal led to the very event that he was hoping to avoid.

After several minutes, Gabriel opened up the building so they could leave. "I want them. All of them." Marinette demanded. "You've had your go at trying to fix things. Now it's time for them to be returned to their rightful place."

Gabriel nodded and handed her the three miraculouses and the Miraculous Book he had in his possession at the moment. "Come with us and I'll give you the Peacock Miraculous also."

Marinette nodded and followed the grieving father and son home, always a few steps behind them in case Gabriel, or Adrien, got any bright ideas about trying again. Upon entering the mansion, Gabriel opened his safe and handed Marinette the Peacock Miraculous as promised. "I'm so sorry."

Adrien was waiting by the front door as Marinette tried to leave. She didn't want to look at him. She was afraid of what she might say to him in her anger. "I'm sorry Marinette. I betrayed you, and... it cost me dearly. I know I don't deserve it, but can we still be friends."

"I don't know. I'm still very angry. We were partners... and you sided with Hawk Moth. I can't say I don't understand... but I'm still very hurt. I need to take care of getting these back to Master Fu before I can even pause long enough to think about our friendship."

"I... I understand." Adrien hung his head and let Marinette walk out of the mansion.

"Master Fu?"

"Come in, Marinette. How may I help you?"

"I have some things that belong with you."

Master Fu's eyes widened at the sight of the lost miraculouses. "Then... it's over?"

"Yes. I don't have details, but... apparently, Hawk Moth's wish caused everything else. Like some type of closed loop time travel."

"I see. Thank you."

Marinette didn't hang around much longer, she was emotionally drained and needed to get some rest to try and process everything. It was well after school, so she headed home for the night.

Alya was waiting for her when she got home. "Girl, where did you disappear to? You missed half a day of school?"

"It's a long story, Alya. And... I really don't have the energy to tell it right now. So, please understand when I ask you to go home, that it's not about you."

Alya scrunched her eyebrows and glared into her eyes. "Yeah... I can tell you're not feeling well. I won't interrogate you tonight... but, I can't promise I won't tomorrow." She winked at Marinette before showing herself out.

Marinette kissed her parents good night and said she was going to bed early. As the trap door closed behind her, she absent-mindedly said, "Tikki? What should I do?"

As Marinette looked around for Tikki, it hit her and she collapsed on the floor crying hysterically. Apparently, she had a price to pay for the wish also. For being so blinded by Adrien, that she never considered him a threat and letting her miraculous fall into Hawk Moth's hands.

Marinette crawled over to her ladder and up it with all the strength she could muster until she finally crawled into bed. While she did sleep, it was by no means restful as the events of the day kept replaying in her dreams. If it was possible, she woke up 14 hours later even more exhausted than when she arrived home the evening before. Thankfully, it was Saturday.

Tom and Sabine sat across the table with concern plastered on their faces. Marinette looked like death warmed over. "Did you sleep last night, dear?"

"Yes, Mama. Thank you for asking."

Tom and Sabine looked at each other. It was rare that Marinette would deadpan out an answer like that. "Is it something you want to talk about?"

"No, Papa. Thank you for being concerned."

Tom got up and kissed Marinette on the head before heading back down to the bakery. "Just remember that we love you and we're here for you if you need anything... even if it's just a shoulder to cry on."

"Thank you, Papa. I love you too."

Sabine sat Marinette's breakfast down in front of her and kissed her on the head also. "You know where to find us."

"Thank you, Mama. I love you too."

"Okay girl. Spill!"

"Alya, please. I'm still processing everything."

"Processing? Well, then explain it to me and I can help with the processing..." Alya smiled at Marinette, eliciting the first smile from Marinette since Volpina kidnapped Adrien.

"Well, I have bad news and worse news. What do you want first?"

"The bad news."

"You're not going to be Rena Rouge anymore."

Alya stiffened. Did I let it slip, or did Nino say something? I better get more information. "And the worse news?"

"And the worse news... I'm no longer going to be Ladybug."

Alya fell out of her seat and onto the floor. Hopping up, she realized now how Marinette had known about her being Rena Rouge. "Now I need to process things. What happened?"

"Cat Noir turned and was helping Hawk Moth along with Volpina."

"No way. I don't believe it. Did you kick his butt?"

"No, he tricked me by transforming into his civilian form and had me trying to protect him from Hawk Moth when he... snuck up from behind and took my earrings."

"That punk. I'm going to have to kick his butt for both of us."

Marinette gave her a sad smile. "Hawk Moth got his wish... which totally backfired. And now all the miraculouses are back where they belong, including Hawk Moth's."

"Oh. So it's over. That's... That's why no more Rena Rouge or Ladybug."

"Yup. You got it."

"So... did you know it was Cat Noir when he was in his civilian form?"

"No. Not until he had my miraculous and was handing over mine and his to Hawk Moth. It was... the worst feeling of betrayal."

"Just give me a name and I'll plant him for you."

"Alya! Don't! He's just as devastated by everything, if not more so, as I am. He's paid a much higher price than anything you could do to him."

"Can I at least try?" Alya smirked.

"Thanks... but no thanks. And before you ask. I'm not going to tell you who he is. It'll be up to him to tell whoever he wants. It's not my place."

"You're still protecting him after he betrayed you. Why?"

"Just understand that... you would too if you were in my shoes."

"Okay. Fine. But, what about the Ladyblog? You said you'd give me an interview later."

"I said maybe later." Marinette stuck her tongue out at her friend, getting rewarded with a laugh.

"Okay, but we still need to let people know that it's all over."

"You can post an article about Ladybug telling you everything's over, but no names and no video."

"Fine... I guess that's probably for the best anyway."

"Thanks Alya. I'm glad I have you."

Marinette walked Alya down to the front door of her building, next to the entrance of the bakery. As they waved goodbye, Marinette spotted Adrien watching intently from the park. She took a deep breath and then waved for him to come over.

"Hi, Marinette."

"Hello, Adrien. I suppose you want to talk."

"If you want. No pressure."

"Let's go inside."

Sabine poked her head out the door to the bakery as Marinette and Adrien walked by and then winked back to Tom. "I think Marinette will be okay in a little bit."

"I sure hope so."

Marinette showed Adrien up to her room to minimize the chance they'd be overheard. He sat on her chaise while she sat in her computer chair.

"Before you start, I should tell you that Alya knows I was Ladybug, that Cat Noir flipped and helped Hawk Moth, and that everything is over and the miraculouses are out of circulation. She doesn't know you were Cat Noir or that your father was Hawk Moth. She's going to write up an article for the Ladyblog stating that everything is over. I told her it was up to you if you wanted to tell her you were Cat Noir."

"Thank you for not revealing my identity... especially after telling her I had betrayed you like that."

"I figured after everything from yesterday, that you and your father didn't need all of Paris beating down your door... yet."

Adrien swallowed hard. "Yet?"

"I think it would be best if your father came out and apologized openly. Whether you want to or not, is up to you since I'm assuming you only turned on us this last time."

"Us?"

"Yes. Us! We were a team," Marinette was nearly shouting at Adrien before she realized it. She took a second to compose herself and then continued, "You didn't just betray me. You betrayed yourself also. You betrayed our partnership, our friendship."

Adrien hung his head and whispered, "Maybe if I hadn't, the loop would've been broken and mother would've magically appeared"

"That's why I'm not beating you up... or letting Alya beat you up. You're going to be doing that to yourself for the rest of your life. You don't need our help."

"Thanks... I think."

"It hurts. It hurts a lot. Not only did my partner and the one person I trusted nearly daily with my life betray me, but my friend betrayed me also."

"I never thought it would be you. If I had even considered the possibility, I would likely have done something else. Maybe I would've just pleaded with you to help us. Maybe..."

"You can say maybe all you want. But, it still happened the way it happened. You... Cat Noir... said you loved me."

"After father showed me mother in our basement, and I was trying to fight for clarity, it was you not returning that love that helped make my decision."

Marinette turned her head and clamped her eyes shut as tears stung them trying to escape. "If I had only known... If I hadn't been so concerned about not revealing our identities to each other... maybe..."

"No more maybes. None of this is your fault."

"I accept some blame. I accept that I didn't want us to reveal our identities because I was afraid of what you might think about the girl under the mask. I accept that I let my guard down trying to protect you, and that I let my earrings get taken. I accept that I'll never be the one to tell on you or your father."

"I can't absolve you of the identity reveal piece. But, I certainly do regarding your misplaced trust. I was the one you should've been able to trust. It's our friendship, in and out of costume, that makes you not want to turn us over to the authorities. I've made such a mess of everything... I betrayed you. I betrayed Plagg... I miss him so much... I helped Hawk Moth and because of my help, he ended up causing the very thing he was trying to stop."

"I miss Tikki too. I can talk to Rena Rouge, but she wasn't there for every fight... so it's harder to make her understand the difficulties of trying to be a normal teenager and a super heroine at the same time. I always thought Cat Noir and I would be able to comfort each other afterwards..."

"Add that to my list of things I screwed up..."

"Not necessarily, kitty. You didn't hurt me so bad that I quit caring. Maybe... maybe if we talk things out with each other... with our feelings of loss and loneliness... then maybe we can slowly rebuild that friendship."

"I'd like that... I'd like that a lot." Adrien genuinely smiled for the first time since seeing his mother in the basement.