"Oh my god.. that's Lila!" Adrien repeated while Marinette nodded mutely and patted Adrien on the shoulder.
"What are we going to do? Who even invited her here?!" Marinette whisper-yelled as Adrien led her farther away from Lila so they could observe her more and figure out what to do.
"I have no idea, but we can't kick her out! We gotta show some sort of hospitality," Adrien replied as Marinette frowned upon that.
"I wish I had an ounce of hospitality, but I am not that sad to say that I don't have one for her," Marinette retorted coldly as she continue to observe Lila greet some of their old classmates and happily talking to them.
"Hmmm... well maybe she's changed," Adrien commented with a doubtful expression as Marinette scoffed.
"I highly doubt it, but we'll see what tall tales she spouts for someone who's bordering on being a hobbit level midget," Marinette replied as Adrien let out a laugh. Marinette discreetly let out a smile knowing she can make Adrien laugh. Suddenly, she and Adrien felt a pair of arms drape over their shoulders and they both looked to find Louis looking at Lila in question while nestled comfortably between them.
"Whatcha guys talking about? That lady over there?" Louis asked as he used his eyes to gesture to Lila. Marinette groaned as she nodded in reply.
"Yeah we were, let's just say, she's an old acquaintance of ours," Adrien replied for Marinette as Marinette narrowed her eyes at Lila. Louis had never seen her act this cold to anyone else but Gabriel so this was extremely interesting to watch.
"If you must know Louis, she is an old adversary of yours truly," Marinette explained as she gestured towards herself as Louis couldn't help but poke some fun at his mom for it.
"Using the word 'adversary' instead of 'enemy?' She must be a big deal," Louis laughed slightly as Adrien let out a chuckle as Marinette smiled slightly before frowning again.
"She is a big deal, she's basically a female Pinocchio, but without a giant nose to indicate that she's lying. She doesn't have a lying limit and at least Pinocchio actually learned his lesson!" Marinette explained further as Louis nodded in understanding and looked at Lila.
"I dunno Mom, I haven't seen you hate somebody this much besides Gab-ahem," Louis coughed as he realized what would happen if he continued that sentence and Adrien looked at him questioningly as Marinette shot him a knowing look, "I mean... you're such a likeable person and you don't really have a lot of grudges against people. What makes her so hated?" Louis asked as Marinette smiled at the compliments. She doesn't really have a lot of enemies, but the few that she has made, are powerful enemies. One of them, she could never hope to beat, but nonetheless are powerful enemies.
"You know Louis, in my time, I've only made a few enemies, but powerful ones. However I trust you with this secret: Lila is a pompous lying snake who stopped at nothing to make my life a living hell in highschool. Although, thanks to Adrien here, I've decided to let it go for the time being," Marinette explained as Adrien nodded in agreement; Lila is a total snake, "Adrien, remember the conversation we had the day Lila made up the lie about saving Jagged Stone's cat from a speeding airplane even though he has a crocodile and hates cats because he's allergic?"
"Yep, I definitely remember that lie," Adrien deadpanned as Louis looked at his mom in disbelief.
"Yeah, Louis, Adrien told me "as long as you and I both know, does it really matter?" And I actually did believe him, because he said what's the use of humiliating Lila by catching her in one of her lies if making her suffer has never turned her into a good guy," Marinette continued to explain while Louis looked at Adrien in awe, who blushed slightly at the fact that she remembered exactly what he said, "I did believe that, but constantly lying so that it even turns the nature of friendships against each other is crossing a line, it proves that she was a snake who needed to be stopped."
"Yeah, I know, but really though Mari, as long as you and I both knew, did it really matter?" Adrien asked as he looked to the right to find Marinette staring back at him with a tearful look in her eyes. Adrien felt himself inwardly panic as he made her cry, but Marinette smiled and sniffed in a reminiscent manner.
"No, it didn't... as long as you and I both knew, we'd be okay, but it still didn't feel right to let her keep lying," Marinette replied tearfully as she wiped her tears away and Adrien smiled warmly at her. Louis let out a big 'AWWW' and grinned at how close they were, "so what are we going to do?"
"To be honest, I have no idea," Adrien chuckled as Marinette narrowed her eyes at Lila and sighed.
"I mean... I might as well say hi, I mean, it's not like I'm gonna act salty or immature or anything," Marinette mumbled as she turned to see Louis and Adrien looking at her extremely unbelievingly, "what?"
"Ummm... Mom, no offense, but I've known you long enough to know that you're not exactly the most calmest person when it comes to insults or snarky comments directed at you. You tend to bite back... and bite back hard," Louis replied as Adrien nodded in agreement with a laugh. Marinette scoffed in indignation as she argued back.
"Well, I'm not going to be that immature about it! Just watch," Marinette huffed as she started towards Lila to greet her. Adrien and Louis just watched from their spot with a knowing grin on their faces: they both knew that Marinette wouldn't be able to keep her annoyance from showing in the form of savage comments. Marinette tapped Lila on the shoulder and immediately forced an extremely happy disposition.
"Oh my god is that you Lila!? How long has it been?" Marinette asked cheerfully with a forced smile on her face. Lila looked back at her in surprise and smiled back with a sickly grin.
"Not long enough I should say! But it is still good to see you!" Lila chirped back with an ingenuity that reigned supreme. Louis sucked in a harsh breath as he waited for his mom's bite back.
"Oh really? I guess all these years haven't made you any less of a snake! I guess it's true what people say! People never change," Marinette snapped back with a forced smile as Adrien groaned and held his hand out to gesture her example.
"And... there it is..." Adrien groaned as Marinette and Lila continued to smile with a fake nostalgia. Louis also groaned and face palmed.
"Mom... why..." Louis complained as he looked towards Adrien, who looked back at him, and after a couple of moments, they laughed. They didn't know what was so funny but they took joy in the fact that they both knew Marinette so well.
"So! How have you been doing? You know, for being gone for 15 years without a word?" Lila asked as Marinette gritted her teeth and continued to force a smile.
"You know, I've been dealing with some personal issues and thought it would be best that I not be in my friends' lives, for their sakes," Marinette explained as Lila listened and laughed slightly.
"You know, it was SUCH a good decision! Leave everyone you love behind and leave them shattered and heartbroken, yeah I totally see that as a good decision," Lila smiled evilly as Marinette gasped slightly and completely lost her cheerful disposition. She wasn't salty, but she was dead serious and emanated a cold aura. Louis could tell immediately and frowned at his mom's drastic change in mood. A fire was ignited in his stomach as he felt the sudden urge to give Lila a piece of his mind.
"You can't hold me accountable for what happened, it wasn't my fault," Marinette explained coldly as Lila immediately interjected back.
"I totally can, because as far as I'm concerned, you're nothing but a flake and a liar who can't even keep a promise to the one she loves," Lila smirked as Marinette took a step back in fear and anger with a fearful look on her face. The fire had been building for a while and Louis gritted his teeth as he tried to not scream and yell his own justifications.
"Adrien... hold me back, I don't think I can contain my anger much longer, this lady's a total witch!" Louis glared at Lila as he started forward and felt strong arms holding him back. Adrien grunted as he attempted to pull Louis back by both arms but Louis was determined to confront Lila and actually gave Adrien a hard time.
"Louis, you can't! Let your mom handle this!" Adrien said as he held Louis firmly by the elbows and held him back.
"You don't even know the REAL reason why I left, so how can you possibly judge me that way," Marinette replied coldly as Lila sported an amused look on her face.
"Then tell me, what exactly is the reason why you left?" Lila asked as Louis gritted his teeth and looked at Marinette. Marinette looked like she was contemplating on answering but she was extremely conflicted.
"Mom! Don't tell her! She doesn't deserve to know!" Louis called out to Marinette, whose eyes flickered to him and smiled slightly.
"Louis..."
"Yeah?"
"I'm asking you to trust me..." Marinette replied as she smiled and turned back to Lila. Adrien and Louis breathed a sigh of relief as Adrien couldn't help but bring back the foremost thought that had been on his mind: Why did Marinette leave? Surely it wasn't because she had a kid, her letters suggested that there was something else, "I'm sorry Lila, I can't tell you why I left, it's an extremely personal reason and I hope you can respect that." Lila smiled softly at her and laughed a laugh that almost seemed like a witch.
"Hmmm, then I guess I can't change my opinion of you if you continue to hide the truth like the liar you are," Lila replied as Marinette huffed in anger and growled at Lila. Louis felt himself do the same as he started towards Lila again and Adrien held him back, but he couldn't help but glower at Lila as well.
"Now listen here you little bitch," Marinette glowered at Lila as the rest of the party seemed to stop and everyone's attention was drawn to the conversation. Hugo and Emma sidled up next to Adrien and Louis and watched as Marinette continued to get even more angry, "you have no respect for other people's private matters and what happened barely even involves you other than the fact that I wrote you a letter calling you a bitch, WHICH YOU ARE!" Marinette yelled as Lila scoffed and dismissed her words with a wave of her hand.
(Hey guys I have another music suggestion! Listen to it if you want to, but I wrote this particular part while listening to Aqua's 0.2 theme from Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep 0.2 A Fragmentary Passage which is from Kingdom Hearts 2.8 HD Final Chapter Prologue. It adds a very dark note behind this particular part in the chapter. Also, some of the dialogue, I kinda fashioned it to be kinda of a PTSD despair hallucination type thing... so yeah. Only some of the sentences are from the game.)
"Fine, then relive the events of what happened leading up to today and then ask yourself: was it really not your fault?" Lila asked as Marinette furrowed her eyebrows in thought and felt the images of everything flood back into her mind. Every image came back like a slideshow: her first encounter with Gabriel, the signing of the contract, the phone call concerning the pregnancy of the twins, his threat to take them away, the incident at the hospital, Louis getting incredibly injured, the blood flowing onto his hands from the knife, the hell that came after, the incident at the school, the second phone call from hell, the second meeting with Gabriel at the cafe, and now this stirring of those memories. The images kept flooding back in a cycle, going faster and faster until Marinette couldn't take it.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Marinette screamed as she gripped her head and sank to the floor. Adrien gasped and immediately let Louis go so they could help her. Marinette felt the tears flowing out of her eyes as nothing could shake her from her memories, her events, everything that happened. Marinette looked up and saw Gabriel standing right in front of her, looking down at her with amusement. She cowered at the sight of him. How could he be here? She didn't see him come in, how in the world could she not notice him? However, somewhere within her shattered mind, she knew he wasn't real and yet her mind wasn't allowing her to break free, but to continue suffering at the hands of a shadow that wants to destroy her.
"No one will save you. And no one wants to," Gabriel whispered as Marinette continued to cry and glare at him.
"Shut it! I don't want to hear it! Especially not from you!"
"Only your heart is hollow enough from the loneliness to be a demon's..."
"Shut up! I'm sick of your nonsense! Give me back my heart that you stole from me!"
"You will fail to protect your children, and you will drown in your failure as a second rate mother..."
"Just stop! Please... You've done enough Gabriel, why do you continue this cycle of suffering?"
"Is there any point of continuing this fight against me, when you know that there is no hope for you returning to the life you had before?"
"PLEASE! STOP! Please... Just... disappear!" Marinette continued to cry and sob as she faintly sensed someone shaking her but she couldn't shake away the despair that was infecting her mind.
"She's having a PTSD hallucination...Mom! Please! Snap out of it! He isn't here! MOM!"
"Maman! Please stop crying! Why isn't she stopping!?"
"Maman! She's not listening! Her eyes! They're so clouded and distant!"
"Marinette! Girl! Snap out of it! She's not listening and she keeps mumbling these phrases: "No one will save you. And no one wants to." That's... girl, what happened to you? To think these things?"
"No one will save me... and no one wants to... Seems fair, for a liar who's at the end of the line..." Marinette repeated the line and felt an even greater sense of despair and depressing complacency, "No one... wants to save me..." Marinette felt more tears flowing from her eyes as she felt a wave of cold blood wash through her body. She felt so incredibly cold and icy inside, it was almost as if she had no heart. Was the love she had for her kids fake? How could she love if she doesn't even have a heart to begin with? Suddenly, Marinette felt herself get pulled into something warm and she heard a soft but warm thumping reverberate through her ears. A heartbeat. She felt someone's hands wrap around her head and press her firmly against his firm chest. She couldn't stop shaking but another arm wrapped around her waist and steadied her. All she could hear was the heartbeat and she slowly felt her darkness drip away. It was so warm, and so full of life, it was such a stark contrast to her own barely functioning heart. The images that were playing slowly faded from her mind and her mind was filled with a warmth that had so much love. She felt her arms wrap around whoever it was and cried into his shoulder. She kept listening to his heart and she lifted her head slightly while sobbing to meet a pair of extremely worried emerald green eyes.
"Mari! Are you ok?" Adrien asked softly as he held her closer and Marinette, who still could barely register him, continued to cry into his shoulder.
"No one... can save me... and no one wants to..." Marinette whispered as she felt Adrien tense and used one of his hands to tilt her chin up to look at him. He looked into her tearful eyes, as if he was searching for some sort of answer.
"That's not true, I made a promise to myself and to you the day I read those letters," Adrien argued gently as Marinette sobbed and looked back at him disbelievingly.
"I will save you... and no one will harm you, not when I'm alive."
"Adrien..." Marinette whispered as she felt her breathing calm and she sucked in a huge breath and sighed. She then three body masses tackle the pair in a hug and she smiled at three familiar heads of hair.
"Mom! You're ok! You kept crying and saying these weird sentences, I couldn't do anything!" Louis snuggled into Marinette's neck as she turned her head to plant a kiss in his hair.
"I know, I'm sorry... for everything, you have a mom who's haunted by the past with every step, I'm not strong enough... and I'm sorry for that..." Marinette whispered into his hair as she heard Hugo interject.
"That's not true Maman, you are strong, strong enough to ward away the source of your fears from us for our whole lives, you aren't going to lose," Hugo smiled as Emma nodded and snuggled into their mom.
"Yeah, that lady is totally whack, she said the meanest things when they're not even true! My Maman's not a liar and she is the kindest and best mom ever!" Emma giggled as Marinette giggled back and planted a kiss in her and Hugo's hair.
"Thank you, you three, truly... It's just... this feeling of memories haunting me... the PTSD, it's hard to ignore it when someone triggers it. I'm sorry," Marinette explained and wiped another tear from her eye as Adrien frowned and tilted her head up to meet his eyes again.
"Marinette... I'll always believe you, you may be different after 15 years... I know... but I know that you would never lie to me. I really do want to help you get rid of the despair clouding your mind," Adrien whispered as Marinette nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. They were both at peace that way. Seeing her like that... it was... bone chilling. Hearing her screams and cries, he never wanted to hear them again, but one way or another, he was going to hear them again. Everyone else gathered around to make sure Marinette was ok, except for Lila as she stood in the back in shock from the events she triggered. Lila unknowingly smiled and chuckled from the ordeal. Lila then walked back through the crowd and got Adrien's attention
"Hey Adrien, I heard you were engaged, but you know, since your fiancee isn't here, I figured she isn't exclusive," Lila suggested as Adrien pulled his most disgusted face and Louis felt himself seeth. Marinette, who regained a lot of her consciousness back, narrowed her eyes at Lila and had to think of something fast to get Lila to back off. Marinette then moved up next to Adrien's ear and whispered.
"Follow my lead on this, I got a plan," Marinette whispered as Adrien nodded and Marinette cleared her throat.
"So you say that his fiancee isn't here, but what if I'm telling you to back off now because I AM his fiancee!" Marinette yelled, causing everyone to gasp. Alya was surprised that she would actually say that out loud, but she knew what Marinette was doing and she passed it on to everyone else so they would also play along.
"What? I don't see a ring Marinette, are you seriously lying right now in the face of everyone here? I know you're hiding your hand so I don't see your ring finger," Lila asked as Marinette faked a gasp and Adrien responded in anger.
"I don't exactly appreciate you saying that to my fiancee Lila," Adrien argued back with Lila taking a step back in shock and glared at the pair who was smirking at her. Louis then decided to go the extra mile much to Marinette's shock.
"Hey, if you're gonna keep bad mouthing my parents like that, then I politely suggest you leave since you did cause my mom to have a PTSD attack," Louis said with an almost innocent like tone. Everyone then looked at Lila with an accusing look and Lila gaped at everyone and at the group on the ground.
"So can you please leave Maman and Daddy alone?" Emma asked innocently as she stood up to stand next to Adrien and pull her adorable pleading face. Lila and everyone except for Chloe, Alya, and Nino were then caught off guard by how Emma looked so much like his daughter when she put her adorable face next to his. Hugo and Louis then joined in by putting both of their faces with Adrien's to seal the deal that they were Adrien and Marinette's kids. Louis was smiling with his chin resting on top of Adrien and Hugo was happily sitting in Adrien's lap with his head right below Adrien's chin and Marinette moved so she was on the right side of his head.
"UGH! I honestly cannot believe you Marinette, but I'll concede the fact that these kids are Adrien's, but don't think this is over, I don't know how, but I will destroy your life again and trust me, this... I don't what this is, will be a decision you will regret, and I will make sure of it," Lila growled at the family, who glared back. Marinette then sighed and stood up to face her at eye level again.
"Lila... I honestly thought we were past this high school grudge, but it's clear we aren't. However, I would die before I let you ruin my kids' lives. You can break me however you want but you will not, and I repeat, WILL NOT touch my kids. And I'm going to leave you with one last thought..." Marinette coldly replied as she took in a harsh breath, closed her eyes, and looked at Lila again with a regretful yet icy, faraway look in her eyes, "You can't destroy my life Lila, you can't break what's already broken."
Lila gasped slightly as Adrien looked at her sadly as he took in her words. Alya then tapped on Lila's shoulders and gestured to the door.
"I don't think you're welcome here anymore Lila, I'd like to ask you to please leave," Alya asked as Lila scoffed indignantly and looked all around the room at accusing faces. When she landed again on Adrien and kids, she gritted teeth and with one last huff, turned around and left, leaving a harsh chime of the bell on the way out. Marinette sighed as she was hugged by Alya again and heard Alya sniff into her shoulder.
"I'm sorry Marinette..."
"For what Alya? You didn't do anything wrong..."
"For activating your PTSD even further by saying one of the lines you said when you were having your PTSD attack.."
"No it's fine, you didn't know-"
"But I still felt like I was responsible for making it worse, call me if you need anything girl, ok?" Alya asked as Marinette nodded.
"Ok. Thanks Alya." Marinette said as Alya went to go talk with Nino, Rose, and Juleka. She then felt a warm presence behind her and she turned around to see a smiling Adrien breath a sigh of relief.
"Oh Adrien! I'm sorry I made you play along with the fact that I was your fiancee, I know you're with Kagami and it was the only way to get Lila to leave you alone. I didn't know that the kids were gonna go the extra mile and sell it even further by telling her that you're their father. I guess they thought since they share so many of your characteristics, they thought they could pass it off, and it worked too. I hope you aren't at me or them for that matter for trying to pass themselves off as your children, since you really hate them passing themselves off as your kids considering what happened last time and I-" Marinette continued but she was cut off with Adrien putting a finger to her lips and chuckling.
"You're rambling Marinette," Adrien gently whispered as Marinette blushed slightly, even after all these years, he still found it adorable, "It's really alright Marinette, I know you were just trying to help me. Also, I wanted to clarify this with you," Adrien sighed as he put his hands on her shoulders and smiled at Marinette, "I don't hate that Louis, Hugo, and Emma were trying to pass themselves off as my kids. I was only surprised last time and I only got mad at you. But you told me it was a joke, so it's ok. However, even though they aren't my kids, I love spending time with them and getting to know them. I know everyone else's kids well enough, but I really do want to get to know your kids and be someone they can be proud of since they don't have a father. There's something about them that I find so special and the last thing I want is for you to think that I hate them when I actually adore them. Marinette... I promise, I'll always believe you and when you're ready, tell me everything about what happened and I will save you. I promise."
"When I'm ready?" Marinette asked tearfully as Adrien raised his hand to her face to rub a stray tear away from her cheek. She felt her heart melt even more than it has already and she knew that she still loved him and her love for Adrien has just gotten stronger over 15 years. However, just knowing that he is there with her makes her feel all the more better and that's enough for her.
"Yeah, whenever you're ready."
"Thank you..." Marinette happily said as Adrien felt himself blush at the melody of her voice. Louis, Hugo, and Emma then joined their mom and laughed together as Adrien looked at Marinette's hand and his eyes widened at what he saw on her wrist: the bracelet he gave her for her 15th birthday 18 years ago. She still wore it... Adrien looked warmly again at her and while he was staring, Nino wrapped an arm around Adrien's shoulders and caught up with him again. However, Adrien knew one thing was clear: Their bond was absolutely unbreakable and the fact that they both still have their lucky charms proves it and also... He was still in love with Marinette and his heart always belonged to her.