Just imagine me shrieking apologies from the rooftops for the delay in finishing this story! Sickness overtook me and I simply couldn't look at the screen long enough to post a chapter, let alone edit it in any way. Still unsure if this is perfect, but I like the feel of it.

Proposal is up next! I got all teary-eyed while writing it. It will definitely be up this weekend, along with the next chapter in Better Together.

Again, thank you for the support!


It only took thirty minutes for Marinette to nod off on his shoulder, lulled to sleep by the vibrations of the plane. As mornings went, this had been an unusually hectic one getting all the models off on their flight before piling into the Agreste private jet. Nathalie was absorbed in the screen of her laptop, headphones dangling over her shoulders. The gorilla was snoring loudly leaned back against the wall. Adrien scanned the cabin, spying his father sitting quietly rear the front, eyes unfocused. He was torn between slipping an arm around Marinette to enjoy the hours of sleepy cuddles and talking to his father. While contemplating his options, his mind slipped back to the quiet conversation exchanged out of his window that morning.

"Good morning," Ladybug relaxed against the window frame, smiling down at her pajama-clad boyfriend.

It was unfair that somehow between fifteen and twenty, Marinette had learned how to wake up in the morning looking refreshed, whereas Adrien had become a disheveled mess any time he woke before ten a.m. Sleepy, shirtless, and unkempt, Adrien approached the window where Ladybug was smirking down on him. "G'morning," he mumbled, snagging her wrist and dragging her into the room. "What do I owe the pleasure of this before sunrise visit?" He draped himself around her waist, dozing on her shoulder.

Nudging his face with her finger, she giggled when he startled. "I was working off some nervous energy and thought I better make sure that you were awake." When a little snore escaped him, she placed light kisses on his face, working toward his lips.

He woke to the soft feeling of her, his senses finally bringing his mind to full alert. Smiling he waited until she was a breath away from his mouth before kissing her. "I like waking up like this," eyes finally open, Adrien smiled at Ladybug, "I could get used to it."

The color of her cheeks matched her mask at the way he was purring at her. "You need a shower and some proper clothing. You are picking me up in an hour," Ladybug lifted his chin and kissed him again, suppressing the urge to melt into him. "I'll see you then?" She slid from his grasp as he nodded, hopping onto the window sill before he could stop her. Pausing, she turned her head to look at him. "Remember what I said about your dad, okay?" His head dropped, but she pushed on. "Find a way to talk to him, Adrien, give him a chance," lowering her voice to a whisper she added, "peace with family is an important first start for any future."

Adrien's mind recalled her launching from his window, leaving him in stunned silence. Ladybug had sounded sad, a feeling he hadn't wanted to follow either of them onto the plane and all the way to Italy. Marinette had slid into the car next to him, and he had squeezed her hand, whispering, "I promise I'll try," into her ear. Anyone in the vehicle would have assumed that he was whispering words of love into her ear with the way she had blushed, smiling into her lap as the car had pulled away from the bakery.

Now, he sat, gathering his courage to cross the cabin to his father's side. It had been twelve days since their conversation in his father's office. In that twelve days his father had gone from distant to overbearing and back again. Watching him now, Adrien couldn't believe he had been dumb enough to sacrifice his father's attention. If Hawkmoth had been active, Adrien certainly would have been a prime target with all of the out-of-control emotion he had succumbed to over the last twenty-four hours.

"Go."

The small voice floating up from his shoulder gave him the push he needed. Kissing Marinette on the forehead, he slipped out from under her. Marinette settled across both seats and sighed herself back to sleep. Adrien indulged in the sight of her beautiful sleeping face for a full minute before gathering his thoughts, mentally preparing for the conversation ahead of him. Resolved to face this head on, Adrien moved quietly through the cabin, sinking into a seat next to his father. Leveling his eyes on his father's face, he turned his shoulders to square off with the man who raised him.

"What can I do for you, Adrien?"

His voice was tired, a tone Adrien had never heard from him. It instantly knocked all of the fight out of his chest. "Dad, may I ask you something?" He let his shoulders fall back, losing the perfect posture he had been sporting his whole life. His father didn't verbally respond, but a small nod of his head urged Adrien on. "What happened?" he shook his head, looking for a more specific question, "why did you go from zero to sixty on the obsessive dad scale when I told you about, um, you know what." He didn't want to take the chance to say the words out loud, unsure of the level of sleep Marinette had fallen into. "It seemed very out of character for you."

The heavy sigh which escaped Gabriel alarmed Adrien. It was almost as shocking to see his father lay his head back into the headrest, shoulders sagging in a way Adrien had never seen. "It is a long story, Adrien." Long fingers drummed on the armrest. When no protest was heard from the younger man, Gabriel continued. "Your mother was the love of my life. When we were young, we traveled quite a bit. She was always willing to accompany me on the trips I took. Whether they were trips of inspiration, or to build the business, she was always by my side." Memories seem to flicker across Gabriel's face in rapid succession. "Italy was her favorite place. From the busy market streets, to the breath-taking churches, to the smaller towns with their beautiful scenery. She loved Paris too, but not in the same way she loved all the parts of Italy." Now the furrowed brow slacked into a more saddened expression. "The restaurant I showed you, it was her favorite. She spent hours sketching the architecture in that building, covering every detail with her skillful observation. So, it was there that I asked her to marry me."

A small breath escaped from Adrien's lips, realization striking straight to his heart. It wasn't a pretty setting made to backdrop professional photos of his engagement. His father had tried to show him a piece of his past and Adrien had spent the better part of the past two weeks not caring to inquire further into his reasoning. Trying to remember everything his father had said, Adrien quietly asked, "you said you had been to this restaurant twice, for special reasons, what was the other one?"

"It is true," Gabriel spoke slowly, "while your mother would sit in the foyer of the restaurant and sketch while I was in long meetings, I didn't spend the time cherishing the place like she did. Since she has been gone, I have pulled out those particular sketches over and over again, trying to recall the beauty of her concentration." The words trailed off as Gabriel gazed out of the plane window again.

"Dad? The second time?" Now Adrien felt almost desperate to know. His father had spoken more honestly to him in the last few minutes than Adrien could ever remember happening in his lifetime.

Violet eyes met green ones with profound sadness. "The last time we were there together," Gabriel's eyes appeared to be misting, "your mother told me she was pregnant with you."

His jaw hung limply at the revelation. This place held significant memories for his father, but now Adrien knew that being there would wrap him in the essence of his mother. His father was giving him the gift of asking the love of Adrien's life to stay with him forever in the place where his mother's memory was seeped into every wall. The weight of the symbolism crushed into Adrien's chest, making him feel like he was heaving. "I'm sorry, father," Adrien whispered, "I should have known it was a meaningful place. I should have asked sooner."

A strong hand laid itself on Adrien's shoulder. "There is more," Gabriel leaned forward, "your mother disappeared one week before our twentieth wedding anniversary. One week before we were scheduled to return to Italy to celebrate. We never made it." Gabriel's voice hitched and Adrien felt the burn of unfallen tears in his eyes. "So, in a way, your first date in the rest of your life will replace the last date that I never got."

At that Adrien felt the first tear fall. He moved forward to hug his father, genuinely desiring to comfort him as much as Adrien himself needed the comfort. His father never went on his anniversary date with his mother, and in a way Adrien understood his need to try to replace that hurt with a positive memory instead. Their relationship wasn't perfect, but he could do this for his father. "Dad," Adrien started, not lifting his face from the thin shoulder where it was pressed, "I want you to come with us tonight." He pulled back to look his father in the face. "Be there as I start my family."

The arms that came around him crushed him against the soft fabric of his father's travel jacket. He felt the shake in the body that was wrapped around him and knew without looking that his father was crying. It was a muted sound against the side of his head, but it eased into Adrien's heart nonetheless. He was right about their relationship being full of flaws. He was also hopeful that this was a step toward mending some of them.

The rest of the flight passed quickly, the two men huddled together putting the final touches on the plan. Despite the notable excitement returning to his father, Adrien found he no longer minded the excitability. He wasn't sure how he was going to make it through the first day of the shoot, especially with the night's plans looming in his mind. Smiling at his dad, he lovingly acknowledged that his father might be the first mate of the same emotional boat of which Adrien was the captain.