"Anger," Adrien's father was telling him, "Is a powerful force. It can be harnessed and poured into something that produces good. It can drive you to achieve things that you never thought possible. But, anger can also blind you. It can cause you to not see the whole picture. When that happens, everyone around you is at risk. If you do not control your anger, you may end up hurting those around you. You have to see the big picture, Adrien, despite your anger."

"But how can I when all I feel is rage?" he asked, not sure how he was supposed to look past that.

"You slow down, take a breath, and set that rage to the side. Why don't you try telling me about it? I'm here to help you."

"Well..." Adrien started, making sure to choose his words carefully. "There's this girl..."

"I figured," his father said with a slight nod.

"She lied to me. About something important." Adrien hoped his father wouldn't ask for more details. "And then she made a choice that I don't agree with."

"And this has made you angry?" Gabriel asked. Adrien nodded and his father looked away as if in deep thought. "That's understandable. Why did she lie I wonder?"

The question caught Adrien off guard. He hadn't considered Marinette's motivation for lying. Of course, she had needed to protect her identity, but as Adrien thought about the rest of what happened, the answer became clear.

"Because she was trying to help me," he said. "Because she cares."

"If she had told the truth, would it have helped you?" His father asked, guiding Adrien's thoughts. He shook his head. He had needed a friend and Marinette offered just that. If she had been upfront with him about being Ladybug or simply denied his friendship, he wouldn't have been able to begin to get over Ladybug. The fact that he had fallen for Marinette was an outcome he felt sure neither one of them saw coming.

"So, she lied to you because she wanted to help you. Because she cares for you. Was there another way she could have helped you without lying?"

"No. She had to lie if she was going to help."

"And did she end up helping you?"

"I think it might have," Adrien smiled slightly thinking about how he had slowly fallen for Ladybug's civilian self. "If I hadn't messed it up."

"Ok. And what about this choice she made?"

"Well...I...I guess I did tell her to choose." Adrien said after a moment. "But it...it wasn't a fair question really."

"Then, can you be mad at her for her actions?"

Adrien looked up at his father with a sudden understanding. He had been so wrapped up in his hurt and anger he hadn't seen the full picture; just like Gabriel had said. He hadn't seen how everything Marinette had said and done had been for his benefit. He also realized that she had been acting out of love every step of the way. The fact she had been crying over it was further proved her feelings towards Chat. And her choice to ask Adrien out revealed that she truly loved all sides of him. Even the side he struggled to like. She loved him. All of him. Just as he loved all of her.

"No," he said simply, the anger beginning to melt away. "I would have done the same thing."

"So, what are you going to do about this?"

"I have to fix this. I...I can fix this."

"Then, I believe our work here is done." Gabriel stood and pulled a card out and handed it to Adrien. "Here's your membership card. Next time, take it out on the punching bag instead of your bedroom."

Adrien blushed again and Gabriel smiled.

"It's alright," his father reassured him. "I understand. You have to get the anger out of your system before you can think straight. I'm the same way. Just come here next time."

He watched as his father walked off towards the locker room. Adrien glanced at the card and then pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. Soon enough, he was calling Marinette.

Aaaaand I'm back! I *should* be back with daily updates until the end of Marichat May! After that...eh...who knows lol. I have a feeling I'll need a small break from Ladybug for a bit and I have a few other stories I want to write :)