Gabriel could not deny the want to stroke David's head and give him a hug when he watched Marinette sew her dress that she was making, whenever he got a peek, David was obviously sketching him in that sketchbook of his.
It's almost been a year, a week until he decides whether to leave. And it's work experience week, so while Adrien leans physics at a university, Marinette gets to stay with him and learn some skills.
He has to admit, he enjoys teaching. Maybe this is something that he can do to give back to the community after he moves.
And...
It's David's birthday on the last day he spends here. Apparently, he has no idea about his birth date.
Poor boy. Adrien celebrated his eighteenth with all his friends and David watched from the sidelines with wide eyes like he's never seen a party before, his son was so grateful.
Chloe was by David's side the whole time explaining how parties work.
Adrien cut the cake deliberately so he can kiss Marinette in front of everyone and then after the party when everyone left, Marinette, Tikki, Alya, Trixx, Adrien, Plagg, David, Wayzz, Chloe, Pollen, Gabriel and Nooroo had an after party.
When Gabriel bid Adrien goodnight, he spotted adoption papers on his desk.
At the end of the day after everyone went to sleep, Gabriel made a short visit to his wife in the basement. That slow beep always puts him down.
Lowering his head in defeat, it's time to speak up about his wife.
Gabriel approached David with a heavy heart the next day, as David could feel it, he wondered what was wrong.
"David... Could you come with me? There is something that I would like to show you"
David saw through his gentle pleading eyes and nodded, before silently following him.
He followed him into his office to the same hatch, only this time he inserted a different pattern in the portrait and they were taken down to an even deeper level of the house.
As they stopped, Gabriel pushed open big heavy doors to reveal an enormous basement. In front of them was a pathway to another area which looked similar to his lair.
"Adrien has no knowledge of this place. If he ever saw it I imagine he'd break down but I trust your motives. You have a steady heart"
Why hasn't he found this place when he investigated the whole house...?
That's when he heard the steady beep as Gabriel lead him up to the area of which the beeping sounds came from, and Gabriel approached a clear coffin which contained a sleeping beautiful blonde woman inside hooked to many machines which he figured that kept her alive.
"I'm back my love. And I've brought someone" Gabriel said.
David's eyes widened, "That's...you said that she was missing!"
"It's better to say that she is missing rather than saying that she's brain dead" Gabriel explained, "I couldn't just give up on her"
"So...you are right. Only the Miraculous can save her"
"Surely you can try yourself at least?" He asked hopefully.
David looked at his hands which had the closest contact with his magic and looked up at him, "I'm not...that powerful, I don't have the potential. I wish I had but I don't"
"Please...please try" Gabriel asked, his expression grave, "You are my last and only hope"
David looked at Wayzz and Nooroo who nodded, and he went up to Émilie.
"I need the coffin open for contact"
Gabriel made didn't waste a second in opening her coffin and letting David go up close.
"Sweetheart, this is David. He is going to try and help you" Gabriel explained to her.
As David took a step close to her, he felt her low energy and felt her soul reach. She's one strong woman.
He put a hand on her forehead and started to feel. Closing his eyes he went to inspect the last of her.
Feeling the brain damage, he figured out what was damaged and what was not. Whether it can be repaired, then he thought as if a brain could repair itself if he forced a lot of energy inside her to make that happen. Like how kwami's help heal no matter what the damage is.
"I have an idea"
A new hope appeared in Gabriel's eyes.
"But I need your help and we need to do it transformed. But I cannot guarantee that it will work"
"Tell me what I must do"
David and Gabriel transformed into their superhero forms and he felt his magic increase with Wayzz's.
"Remember what I taught you in how to use energy?" David asked.
"Yes?"
"We need to give her our own energy to replace her own that she has lost. Then maybe it could heal her, we need to put both hands to her head and focus full throttle in giving her our energy"
"I understand"
They put both hands on her forehead and nodded to each other before focusing on giving her energy.
David immediately felt the string positive energy from Gabriel as he forced his own to her, it was full of love and care and he knew that it was the best medicine. So he pushed all of his own into her.
Apparently, being Hawkmoth was a bonus because he could input his own positive energy into her like he did with akuma's, only stronger.
The more he focused on healing, the little more he felt some brain movement. It was working, but he's already very exhausted, Gabriel was visually sweating but he wasn't stopping there.
It wasn't long until Gabriel's miraculous started beeping and he lost his transformation.
"No!" He caught an exhausted Nooroo in his hands, "How far along are we?" He panted.
David was way too focused on helping her.
"I love this man, whether I am going to get adopted or not, I'm going to help him whether it's the last thing I do!" He thought.
Gabriel looked at David who looked exhausted but still pushed on, he gave Nooroo some food and went back to join him and push further.
The next thing, David's transformation dropped but he kept on going.
Gabriel looked at David in concern, he looked like he was going to drop himself. "Are you alright?"
"I'm getting brain activity! If I can only restore her completely and regain her functions-!"
Before Gabriel knew it, he groaned out a high yell before he heard the machine beep a normal heartbeat and normal brain functions, David finally let go and collapsed into Gabriel's arms.
"David? David!" Gabriel checked his pulse to find a healthy heartbeat, he sighed heavily, exhausted, beat, he felt like collapsing himself. He held the boy close, he knew that David will need some of his own energy if he keeps him close.
"Gabriel... " David mumbled.
Gabriel sat down on the ground and laid him on his lap, his arms holding him close.
"It's alright... I'm here..." He looked up at his wife who seemed to be more than lifeless, "You did a magnificent job. No matter what happens, you did your best"
Wayzz laid on the ground weakly, luckily Nooroo came over to give him a share of his own food.
"Gabriel..." Nooroo spoke and Gabriel looked at him.
"There's a chance that she may survive now, so for now, let her heal"
He needs to get her out of here to give her rest and he needs to supervise her. But David needs assistance first. Like he taught everyone, a nice cool bath, francansense and rest.
He looked at his wife and closed the coffin, "I'll be right back"
Putting Nooroo and Wayzz on David's stomach, he picked him up and took him back into his office. Exhausted himself, he took him into his private quarters and entered his large bathroom.
He went out and got some food for the two kwamis to eat in the bathroom corner and set up some incense.
If he was still different, he would have gotten a maid to do this but no, he cares about this boy.
He filled up the bathtub with nice warm water and undressed David down to his underwear before lifting him up again and gently laying him in the bath, adjusting his head onto the headrest so he can rest without any fear of drowning.
Frankly, he was exhausted so he decided to take a quick shower and change into some comfortable clothes before attending to him again.
The two kwami's were tired too so they huddled up and rested back in his bedroom.
With his entire body more relaxed thanks to the shower and the incense, he kept his eyes on him as David breathed in and out as he slept.
He got a stool and sat down next to him, grabbing his left hand and holding it with his two hands, hoping that the energy left can be sent to him.
David moaned in his sleep and grasped his hand.
"You are a strong one aren't you?" He commented.
David then surprisingly slowly opened his eyes and looked at him. "Tell Adrien... Go to your wife"
"No, you are in a poor condition right now"
David shook his head a bit, "They're important too"
"Are you sure?"
David nodded, "I'll be right here"
Gabriel sighed and let his hand go, "I'll be back as soon as possible"
Gabriel rushed back down to the basement and went up to the coffin, nearby was a portable bed like the ones you find in hospitals and he transferred his wife onto it, hooking the machines to it, he rolled her out of the basement and back to his bedroom. He lifted her up again and laid her on her side of the bed and put the machines next to her where he can see them, inspecting the status, her brain has started working again. But it was healing and not fully operational.
Time to get Adrien.
After putting the portable bed away, he went straight to his sons room.
Knocking on his door a little frantically, Adrien opened the door.
"Dad" Adrien looked up at his face, "Is there something wrong?"
"Come with me" he breathed.
Adrien felt quite nervous, did he do something wrong?
It was quite rare for his Father to take him to his private quarters, but when he opened the door to his bedroom, Adrien gasped.
"Mother!" He ran straight to her side, "Oh how..." He looked at the machines, "Whats wrong with her?! Is she going to be alright?"
Gabriel lowered his head a little. "I lied"
"What?"
"She was never missing"
"What do you mean?"
"Your mother had an accident that resulted in her brain dead. I kept her underneath this house all this time until I found a way to save her. I didn't want to tell you because, this kind of news... I couldn't bear to break it to you. But with the miraculous out of the question, I asked David if he could help. And we both used almost all of our energy to recover her brain. To be honest, I'm exhausted, and David is asleep. But she is slowly recovering"
"I could have helped Dad" He turned to his mother and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I know you think of others before yourself but please, let me help you once in a while"
Gabriel smiled, "Thank you"
"Where is David?"
"He is in the bathroom resting"
"God. Dad, when are you going to sign those adoption papers? It's pretty clear that you love him as much as I do. He's done miracles for us, it's clear that he loves us too. I've seen it, otherwise he couldn't be doing this without question"
Gabriel blushed a little,"Er, well... "
"Dad, Mum is going to love him to bits"
"I will have to formally ask the Dupain-Cheng family...to do that"
"Then I will ask them with you, when we're ready"
"Pardon?" Sabine asked as both Adrien and Gabriel bowed their heads in front of Marinettes parents, she looked at Ladybug who took over David's position in the meantime while he recovers. "Is he serious?"
"He's dead serious Mrs Dupain-Cheng" Ladybug replied.
"You want to adopt our boy Mr Agreste?" Tom asked.
"Yes, I do" He turned to Adrien, "We both do"
"And he is also willing to take on the Agreste name? I mean... We already have a daughter that clearly has an intent of marrying your son in the possible future"
Adrien internally smiled while Ladybug did her best not to blush.
"David has grown on us as well as himself to us"
Sabine took a moment to herself to take it all in, "I'm shocked and grateful, but my answer is no. He's been through enough"
Gabriel's eyes widened, "I'm sorry?"
"Sabine-" Adrien wanted to argue but he was cut off, "He's our boy. He does not deserve to be taken advantage of, especially what he's been through in his life"
And that was that.
When David finally recovered and got walking the next day, Ladybug came up to tell him what happened the day before.
"Aunt!" He went rushing through the back doors of the bakery, "What the hell!?" He went up to Sabine, "Why did you refuse for!?"
"Darling, I did what was best for you" She replied. "Adrien is a good young man but Gabriel is something else"
"Auntie. For the last few months, I have wanted to be adopted by him but I was afraid that it would never happen! I love him and his family and you just had to go and say no... "
Sabine was shocked to see his desperate face in the bakery, "Darling, Gabriel is a known criminal, if you get adopted by him. This will tie the family together with him, and think of the bakery, when word gets out, it will put us out of business"
"Is that all you care about?" David sighed dejectedly.
"Sweetie, why do you care about him?"
"Because auntie, family isn't just about blood, it's about love"
Sabine smiled at him. "Oh darling..."
"I'm willing to change my name to protect your business. I know I'm going to outlive you all but I want to make most of my life, and yours. Please, accept his request"
Sabine stroked his hair with tears in her eyes, "Alright" He got out a paper from her pocket and signed it, "Then have a wonderful life my beautiful boy. Make it a good one" she gave the papers to him.
"Thank-you auntie!"
Sabine watched him run out the door happily and he ran back to the Agreste mansion by foot as fast as he could.
Rushing through the gates and unlocked the front door with a key, he found Adrien first and gave him a big hug.
"Wha- David! What's going on?" He asked.
"Good afternoon brother!"
Adrien then caught sight of the adoption papers, "Wait. You got them signed!?"
"Yup!"
"Awesome! We're brothers now!"
"I better get to Dad" David said excitedly, feeling good about calling him his Father.
"Go then! He's in his room looking after Mum"
Wayzz watched happily as David ran to Gabriel's room with a huge smile on his face.
"He's finally happy..." Wayzz thought.
Gabriel was holding Emilie's hand when he heard David come in with tears in his eyes, when he looked at him, he was confused as to why he's so happy but his heart skipped a beat and his arms automatically opened wide for David to hug him.
He felt the rustle of a paper behind him, but before he could turn to see what it is, he heard David sniff.
"Thank you..."
Wait. Did he find out about the papers?
He turned around and grabbed them, to find that they were the very same adoption papers. Signed.
"You got them signed?" He asked, surprised.
"I had a word with Sabine. I was mad that she said no, you're the best person in this world to me"
"What?" Gabriel inhaled. "Even if I am Hawkmoth who terrorized Paris?"
"Even so, you have showed so much more, and I see more in you. That's why I sketch you, so the world can see you through my eyes" David said, still in Gabriel's arms.
"Oh"
"I've always blamed myself for what I have done...I thought that I would never forgive myself"
"I forgive you"
Gabriel tried to professionally hold back his tears.
"I was afraid that you would never adopt me, I wanted to stay and I still do, ever since I realized that my heart stays with you. Nobody loved me" The tears ran down David's face, "But you do"
Gabriel blinked back his tears and returned the hug.
"Everyone thought I was evil for my abilities, but you didn't judge. You didn't. Thank you Dad"
"David. You gave me wings, you stretched me out. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here. You stepped into my life and into my heart, and showed me much more that I couldn't see in myself. Even Adrien could see it, he likes you very much. And I couldn't express more than the love you shared and the love I want to give back, you deserve so much more, I want you to stay"
He lifted the adoption papers again and saw a little post it note on the side.
"Give him a new name Gabriel, he's a good boy and he'll give you love"
"Your new name"
David wiped his eyes, "I want to move forward not back, my name died with my birth parents. Please, I would like you to give me a new name"
Gabriel smiled at him, "Alright, then-"
"Felix" They heard a weak voice, Gabriel gasped and looked at his wife who was looking at them.
"He looks like a Felix to me" Emilie said.
"Emilie!" Gabriel exclaimed.
David ran to the door and shouted, "ADRIEN!" And Adrien came rushing in, gasping, "Mum!"
"Oh good lord, dear, how long has it been?" Emilie commented as she saw her son.
"Five, six years" Gabriel corrected as he sat by her side and Adrien came over.
"Oh Mum! I've missed you so much..."
Emilie blinked as she finally saw her sons face, "Adrien...you've grown to become such a handsome young man"
Adrien blushed, "Thanks Mum"
"Emilie..." Gabriel approached his wife and wrapped his arms around her, Emilie smiled up at him. She lifted a hand and brushed his cheek.
"Welcome back love" he said.
"So" Plagg started, "When do we get to the part when we tell her that you're the cat wielder?"
"Plagg!" Adrien scolded.
"Wait, what did you say?" Emilie piped up.
"it's a long story..." David said, chuckling nervously.