Hired Help verse (Yes, all the way back to the first drabble because TypicalBookLover requested it).

xXx

She ran into the man everyone dubbed as "The Gorilla" as she hurried along, trying not to panic. M. Agreste said he was about to acquire a very valuable ring... one that had been under his nose for a while. He'd said he'd initially wanted to wait, but now the time for waiting was over. Then he'd dismissed her.

Naturally, she'd gone directly to Adrien's room in hopes of warning him at least.

Naturally, he wasn't there.

She'd called him.

He hadn't answered.

She'd left a message, and then called his friends. She went through more or less everyone on the list, trying not to get flashbacks of the Christmas fiasco. Of course she'd assured everyone that Adrien must have left his phone off or something of that sort and she just needed to inform him of a change in his schedule is all. He'd merely said he would be going out with friends (a blatant lie, he should have been in his room!) and hadn't specified which in his text (which he must have sent before his phone died). It wasn't the best cover story she'd come up with, but it would have to do because she needed to warn him! Preferably right now!

Of course, that's when she got news of an akuma.

Nathalie swore and stalked down the hall as calmly as she could. Although, it did occur to her that she could have easily become the akuma if she'd allowed herself to panic a little more.

That thought had distracted her enough that she hadn't watched where she was going, and she ran more or less into what felt like a soft, brick wall. Or at least a padded one. In the next instant, she found herself on the floor with her tablet beside her, looking up at Adrien's bodyguard.

He held out a hand to her, looking apologetic.

She cleared her throat, trying to recover what dignity she could, and took the hand, allowing herself to be pulled into a standing position.

"My apologies," she said, brushing imaginary dust from her pant-suit and picking up her tablet. "I was in a hurry."

The other man nodded in acceptance.

That's when she realized who was in front of her and wanted to smack her forehead. She didn't, but she wanted to. Why hadn't she even thought to ask him until now? This is why she never panicked!

"Would you happen to know where Adrien is?" she asked, unable to keep the note of hope out of her voice.

His brow furrowed and he shook his head.

She tried not to let her heart sink, instead putting on her usual mask of indifference. "I see. Well, if you see him, please tell him I have an urgent message for him. It is a matter of extreme importance and—"

Nathalie hadn't heard the man speak more than a few words or in grunts since he'd begun working there. Thus, it rather surprised her when he cut her off.

"He's going after Adrien."

The comparatively short woman blinked at him in shock.

"You... know?" she asked.

He nodded.

"About Adrien?"

He scoffed. "Chat Noir."

She licked her lips. "About M. Agreste?"

His expression darkened. "Hawk Moth."

For several seconds, she could really only stare at him. "How did you find out?" she asked, proud of herself for keeping the stutter that wanted to slip in out of her words.

He raised an eyebrow, reached in his pocket and then pulled out his driver's permit as if it explained everything. Which, really, it did. He was silent, he was trustworthy, and he was observant. His main job had been to drive Adrien around and protect him, but he'd taken M. Agreste around his fair share of times too. People tended to forget that silent help was there and slipped up.

Well, that was the only conclusion she could draw, even if she couldn't quite see M. Agreste slipping up.

Of course, that begged the question, and she didn't want to jump to any conclusions, but where exactly did this bodyguard/driver keep his loyalties? With Adrien (Chat Noir) or with his employer (Hawk Moth)?

As quietly as usual, he turned around, motioning for her to follow him. After a brief hesitation, she did, still trying to retain her composure. He continued to lead her to the garage where he walked up to one of the many cars and punched in a code to unlock the car he took Adrien in most often.

"What are you," she started, but he held up a finger as he rummaged around in the glove compartment, then drew out a piece of paper. He seemed to hesitate for just a moment, his large hands clutching at the seemingly fragile paper before his resolve steeled and he turned to her, holding it up.

Nervously, Nathalie took it and unfolded it. Then her eyes widened. Plans. She saw an outline of multiple plans all written out in neat penmanship. Unlike Nathalie, he'd seen this coming and had planned for it. In front of her he'd written out what they could do if Adrien was at a photo shoot, or school, or with a friend, or as Chat Noir. Those tended to be the most vague, but still, the fact that he'd considered this at all... Just, wow.

The secretary had to admit, she was impressed. And very disgusted with herself. Why hadn't she done that? Normally she was so on top of things... but then, while she didn't normally have issues facing her problems, she really hadn't wanted to face this particular one, had she.

She'd have to address that tendency very soon.

But first...

"Excellent job," she said. Then she took a deep breath. "There is an akuma attack going on right now."

The bodyguard nodded.

"Would you recommend," she glanced down at the list, "going out to find him or waiting for him to return?"

He thought about that for a moment, pulled out his phone and checked out a familiar site: the Ladyblog. It had updates on the powers of the akuma and how the heroes were fairing. This akuma, a boy named 'Teddy' who had morphed into a large, polka-dotted, stuffed bear that could take a beating, turned people into stuffed toys.

If Gabriel knew she knew about him, she would have words with him about his choices of puns and names and fashion sense. Few akuma were up to his usual standard and she knew he could come up with better.

Seriously.

A few seconds later, the bodyguard put his phone away and glanced at the sheet, eyes brushing over each of them before he tapped a meaty finger on top of one.

She read it a little more closely.

Wait for him to return.

Have cheese ready.

Have more cheese ready.

Bring him out of the house.

Take him to a safe house. (And by that one, she saw an address and couldn't help that her appreciation for this plan skyrocketed.)

Resign from post.

Protect Adrien.

She'd long since grown past the point of letting sentiment get to her, but his simple statements of protection almost had warmth growing inside of her. Almost. Of course, that non-existent warmth was crushed rather harshly by the fact that somewhere in between all of that, they'd have to explain everything to Adrien.

To Chat Noir.

She wanted to groan. This was going to be a long day.

xXx

One very nerve-wracking hour later, the akuma attack had finished and the heroes had done their little vanishing trick. She'd checked on his room at least three times, but was sure he'd actually come back this time.

"Nathalie," she heard Gabriel's sharp voice in her ear and couldn't stop a flinch. She'd almost reached Adrien's door.

"Sir?" she asked.

"I would like to see my son."

Her stomach dropped to her ankles.

"Of course, sir. I will fetch him myself."

Taking a few more steps, she reached the door and knocked on it.

"Just a minute."

She wanted to pull her hair out. She wasn't sure they had a minute.

"Quickly, please, Adrien. I have something of vital importance to discuss."

A few seconds later, he opened the door with an all-too-innocent expression on his face.

"Nathalie."

She tried to maintain her usual mask. "May I come in?"

He seemed surprised. Probably because she, more often than not, came to fetch him or deliver a message. She rarely stepped inside his room to do more than wake him (it would breach all sorts of unspoken and spoken rules, but she didn't care at the moment).

"Um, sure."

"Thank you," she said with a nod of her head.

Once he closed the door behind her, she turned to him.

"Adrien, do you trust me?"

Again, he seemed taken back.

"Um... sure?"

She took a deep breath. "I mean it, Adrien. Do you trust me?"

He frowned, but slowly nodded. She wanted to melt in relief.

"Then I have something to tell you. I know. I know you're Chat Noir."

His eyes widened and he stepped away from her. She wanted to give him time to digest that, but they didn't have time right now.

"And I also have it under good authority that Hawk Moth is coming after you, today."

"Wait, what?!" he hissed. "How—"

"Adrien, we don't have time. I will explain everything to you in the limo, but we have to go now."

He blinked, staring at her blankly. "But..." he glanced down at his shirt and a little lump in his pocket that...moved?!

She stared at it for a moment before shaking her head. "We have cheese," she said, repeating what Adrien's bodyguard had said to say (even if she didn't understand why).

"Go with her!" a voice she'd heard only once said aloud. It was coming from said moving lump.

She jumped and was very proud of herself for not shrieking.

"Plagg?!" Adrien hissed.

It took her a moment to regain her composure, but when she did, she put her hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes. "Please!" the woman practically begged, jerking her head towards the door.

The blond boy stared at her for several seconds before nodding firmly.

They hurried down the hall, initially towards Gabriel's meeting room. But then they made a sharp turn towards the garage. They got there in time to see the Gorilla in the front of the already running car, ready to go. She exchanged a glance with Adrien before they raced forward and each got in.

It felt surreal as they drove away, hopefully forever, and she wondered what it said about her that she could only really think one thing.

Well, it was official. Nathalie had lost her job.

xXx

Adrien's mind didn't want to work for him, so he followed Nathalie in a sort of daze.

Nathalie knew? She'd been acting strangely lately, but... How long had she known? Had she figured it out, or had he just been careless? What about Ladybug? Did Nathalie know who she was too? And she'd said Hawk Moth knew who Adrien was...

A cold lump of ice began to form in his stomach. If Hawk Moth knew who he was, then his friends and family were in danger. People like his father...

Adrein's eyes went wide. "Wait!" he yelled. The Gorilla slammed on the breaks. "What about my father?! Where is he? We have to go back for him!"

Part of him couldn't help but be shocked that the other two only exchanged glances and part of him wanted to jump out of the car and rush back.

"Adrien... I don't really know how to tell you this," Nathalie started slowly, "but that's why we're getting you away. Your father is Hawk Moth."

Adrien blinked at her for a few seconds but then shook his head. "No, Ladybug and I already investigated him. He turned into an akuma. Why would Hawk Moth akumatize himself?" He slumped a little in his seat, relief beginning to relax him.

Nathalie muttered under her breath, something about 'inexperienced 15-year-olds' that Adrien chose to ignore for the sake of clearing all of this up first.

"When you took the book, he knew it was only a matter of time before the heroes of Paris would start to suspect him, so he akumatized himself to throw you off."

Adrien just stared at her. That... actually made sense. And it sounded like something his Father would do. But... no! They hadn't offered any actual evidence!

"Where's your proof?" he asked defiantly.

"Hey, kid," Plagg said as he rose out of Adrien's pocket, "if you're gonna sit here an argue, fine, but I want cheese."

Nathalie's eyes had gone wide and she stared at the Kwami almost as if she hadn't expected him. Well, no one but other Miraculous holders were supposed to know how the whole thing worked, so she was bound to be a little shocked.

Adrien sighed. "Plagg, meet Nathalie and my bodyguard," because he still didn't remember the guy's name and wasn't about to address him as 'The Gorilla' to his face. "You two, meet Plagg, my Kwami. He's the reason I have powers."

"You said you have cheese?" Plagg asked as he floated up to Nathalie. Adrien wanted to snicker at how she looked like she wanted to back away.

"Er, yes. Here." She opened a compartment that had been filled with cheese. Plagg squealed in delight and dove into it. Adrien sighed, although the normalcy of it all really helped to ground him right now. Nathalie just watched with a sort of shocked horror at how something that small could eat that much. Adrien could relate.

He turned back to Nathalie. "Like I said, where's your proof?"

Before she answered, the Gorilla himself spoke up, probably for the first time since Adrien had met the man.

"I overheard you talking to Plagg. I overheard your father talking to someone called Nooroo. With that they spoke of, he is Hawk Moth."

Adrien wasn't sure which shocked him more, the fact that the Gorilla had backed Nathalie up, or the fact that he'd spoken at all.

Then Nathalie cut in. "I've suspected for a while, but haven't come to you because I had no proof. It was just... things he said right before he'd go into his secret room."

The blond's eyes widened further. "He has a secret room?"

The woman sighed and nodded. "In his office."

Adrien ran a hand through his hair as he tried to wrap his head around this. Both Nathalie and the Gorilla seemed so sure, and neither one were practical jokers... or people who joked at all... ever.

"Earlier today, he said he would finally acquire a ring that had been under his nose for a while, that he was done waiting," the woman said softly. Well, as softly as Nathalie could get.

Adrien's stomach plummeted. He felt sick. That... was a bit too much of a coincidence.

"B-but..." he started, then turned to look back at his home.

Just then, Nathalie straightened.

"Sir," she said, putting a hand to her ear. "Yes sir. You did ask me to bring Adrien." Another pause. "Of course, sir. Yes, sir. Screw you, sir. Consider this my resignation."

With that, she turned the ear piece off, took it out, and calmly set it aside. In the front, the Gorilla chuckled while Adrien felt his jaw go slack.

"Did... you just tell my father to..."

Nathalie sent him a smug smile. "It felt surprisingly good to do so."

Adrien couldn't seem to close his mouth. No one ever told his father that. Especially Nathalie.

After a few moments, her smug smile faded. "Adrien, we've arranged for a safe house for you, but you must know that this is a temporary solution. Your father is still legally your guardian, and he will undoubtedly report your disappearance to the Police. We can stay there as long as you feel you need to, but there is a very real possibility that he will come after you very soon. Noticing both of us leaving at the same time you disappeared along with the video surveillance means we'll be on the run shortly too. You won't be able to go to school or outside as Adrien at all."

The blond had managed to close his mouth, but his stomach had returned to its proper place, except that the lump of ice had turned into a full-fledged storm.

He took a deep breath. He had to call Ladybug and they had to regroup and...

He glanced at Nathalie.

"Why?" he asked softly. "Why are you doing this for me?"

She looked a little hurt at that. "We care for you, Adrien. We care for your Father too, but he made his choice, and we would much rather throw our lot in with you. Neither one of us like the idea of people being turned into super villains."

He knew his expression was different as he stared at her this time. Then his gaze flicked up to the Gorilla, and he felt his eyes sting a bit.

"Thank you," he whispered.

She smiled softly. "You're always welcome."

xXx