Adrien spent the nearly three hours on the Startrain staring out the window, but he didn't notice any of the scenery as it passed. The reflection of his eyes - his mother's eyes - watched him back from the window as he reeled from the events of the past three days.

He was fighting an akuma side-by-side with Ladybug. He didn't even remember the akuma's name or its powers, just that it was big and nasty and had an army of minions. One Lucky Charm and Cataclysm later, he and his Lady pounded fists and waved farewell, like they had done countless times before.

When he returned to his house, his bodyguard was pounding on the locked bedroom door.

Adrien opened the door and was immediately whisked downstairs. He heard a vehicle door slamming and the siren of an ambulance fading into the distance.

When Nathalie told Adrien what had happened, he had to be restrained. By the time he calmed down and was driven to the hospital, his father was gone. He was given a sedative and slept soundly that night and most of the next morning. When he awoke, Nathalie was bustling around making funeral arrangements. The Gorilla sat with him in his room, helping him pack a suitcase and generally keeping him under a watchful eye.

His friends sent him voice messages and short videos expressing support, much like on the anniversary of the day his mother disappeared.

He didn't get a chance to say goodbye to them. Immediately after the funeral, he went home and picked up his suitcase before his aunt and cousin took him to the train station.

Adrien was startled from his reverie by the train drifting to a halt. He wordlessly took his suitcase from the overhead compartment and followed his cousin and aunt - guardian, his mind unhelpfully reminded him - to a waiting sedan that drove the three people to Amelie's modest house.

"Adrien, we've arranged Felix's room to accommodate you as well. It's late and you've had a long, stressful day. Your attendant, Philip, will show you the way. He will also give you something to help you sleep if you think you need it. We will see you tomorrow, Adrien."

Adrien nodded and trudged down the hall to Felix's room behind the tall, skinny man that his aunt had identified as Philip.

Philip opened the door and indicated a twin-size bed for Adrien to sleep in.

Adrien climbed in without a word and fell asleep shortly after his head hit the pillow. I wonder if Philip is mute, too, like my last bodyguard was the last thought through his head.

Adrien sat up with a start and yelled.

"Easy, Adrien. You're okay." Felix was seated at his desk with his back to Adrien. "You were talking in your sleep. I don't think you have anything to worry about a plague or whatever it was you were dreaming about."

Adrien wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sheet. "Uh, thanks. Sorry if I kept you up."

"It's no problem, I don't get much sleep anyway." He paused and took a deep breath. "I know I don't have a big room like you did. I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay, don't apologize." Adrien took a deep breath and rubbed his face.

"I mean, my parents never provided for me like yours did, with all those games and movies and pretty much everything I could have asked for… I just have… this. It's not what you're used to, I know. Sorry."

"Felix." Adrien blinked back tears. "It's okay. Honest." What Felix didn't know about Adrien's home life could fill several volumes. Adrien would have traded a parent for all of the stuff in his room, but he couldn't tell Felix that because he didn't want to seem ungrateful for what his father…

His father…

Adrien collapsed in his bed and started shaking as sobs wracked his body. This was the first time he was really able to stop and think about his father's death and what that meant for him. To him. He was a fool to ever complain about how his father was absent in his life or only showed up via tablet for his events… when he showed up at all.

Now…

"Can I… can I take a shower?" He held his breath to prevent the inevitable hiccups from coming. He was not doing so well at keeping the Agreste Stiff Upper Lip. He would have to do better, especially since now he was the only Agreste left…

...he was going to have to hurry up with that shower. Maybe it would wash some of these thoughts out of his brain.

"Of course, Adrien. Just down the hall and to your right. It's not a private shower by any means, but hopefully you'll be able to make do."

Adrien nodded, picked up his suitcase, and left the room. He almost immediately collided with Philip.

Philip took his suitcase from him and raised an eyebrow.

"Shower." Adrien fought to get the word out.

Philip led Adrien to the bathroom and placed his suitcase inside, then stood outside the door.

Adrien closed the door behind him, turned the water on, and opened his suitcase.

Plagg floated up next to Adrien. "Adrien… I'm sorry."

"Thanks, Plagg. I appreciate it." Adrien stripped off his clothes and stepped under the hot water. He picked up a bar of soap and started scrubbing until his skin was red, willing the tension and negativity he had been feeling off of his body and down the shower drain. He rolled his shoulders - a trick his mother had taught him to de-stress, but he wouldn't think about that right now - and tilted his head backwards to let the hot water run down his face.

"...Cat Noir?" Plagg was asking.

"Hmm?" Adrien responded, not opening his eyes.

"I said, do you want to get out and run around for a bit? Maybe let London know that they're being protected by Cat Noir?"

Adrien hummed. Cat Noir would be the perfect escape vehicle right now. But… Cat Noir wouldn't be Cat Noir without his Lady. A red-and-black spotted domino mask with electric blue eyes appeared in his imagination. Soft, concerned, loving eyes. Eyes that he had burned into his mind since the first time he saw them.

He shook his head to get his attention back on his shower.

"Hey! You just got me wet!" Plagg yelled.

"Plagg, what are you doing in the shower with me? You know what, nevermind." He turned around, making sure he was rinsed off.

"Well?"

Part of the fun of being Cat Noir was getting to see Ladybug. OK, most of the fun of being Cat Noir was getting to see Ladybug. Without Ladybug… well, Cat Noir wouldn't be much fun. And truth be told… Adrien had just lost one family member. He didn't want to be reminded that he had lost another.

"I can't, Plagg. If Cat Noir disappears from Paris and shows up in London, that's just going to worry the citizens of London, not reassure them. The only way London will see Cat Noir again is if there's an akuma. And who knows… maybe not even then. There's no telling if Ladybug would be able to make it here. And I'm not sure if I could make it back to Paris if there were another akuma there. I wish I had time to give Ladybug my ring so she could get another partner, but she's Guardian now, and she'll be able to get heroes whenever she needs."

"But they wouldn't be you."

"I know. And if I'm honest, I don't want to give up my ring, because I don't want to give up my kwami. I've lost everything that's important to me over the past few days… I don't want to lose you, too. I think keeping a low profile for the moment is best."

Plagg floated forward a bit to nuzzle Adrien but paused to reconsider, given how wet Adrien still was.

Adrien shut off the shower and was promptly greeted by a sharp knock on the door.

"Your shower time is up, Master Adrien." The voice on the other end of the door sounded like a male version of Nathalie. That must be Philip, Adrien reasoned. Guess he's not mute after all.

"Coming!" Adrien quickly toweled off and got dressed.

Plagg zipped inside Adrien's suitcase after it was closed, and Adrien carried it outside, where Philip took it.

"Sir, not to be disrespectful, but I didn't know there was a time limit on the showers." Adrien's voice was tentative. He didn't want to be a bad… guest?

"That's correct, Master Adrien. Mistress Amelie has imposed a five-minute limit on showers in the interests of economizing water."

"I'll do better next time, sir."

Philip nodded and opened the bedroom door.

"Breakfast will be in ten minutes; after that, we will begin your tutoring."

"Tutoring? I won't be going to school?"

"No, Master Adrien. Due to the differences in English and French education, it will be easier to complete your education here at the house. Plus, your English skills are… passable, at best. If you are to live here and potentially go to university in England, you will need to raise your English fluency. But we will go over the details at breakfast. You will receive your schedule and curriculum then."

Adrien stared at the paper in front of him, which was filled with a schedule so packed and detailed it might have been written by Nathalie herself. Instead of piano practice or fencing, however, it was filled with things like meditation and calisthenics. "So it looks like I won't be continuing fencing or piano, either." His voice sounded hollow in his ears.

Amelie shook her head. "I'm sorry, Adrien, but we simply don't have the resources for such… luxury. At least, not at the moment. Despite my late husband's career as a film director, we aren't rolling in royalties or anything like that. Why, it's all we can do to keep this modest existence!"

"I understand." Adrien took a bite of dry toast.

"Your lessons will begin after breakfast. Philip will be your tutor. Don't be fooled by his position as your attendant; he graduated from Oxford and is one of the smartest people you'll ever meet, I dare say."

"Do we get any free time? I'd like to go into the city and get a new SIM card for my phone. The one I have now won't work in England."

"That won't be necessary, Adrien. None of us have phones, and you won't need one, either. It wouldn't be fair for you to have something that nobody else in the house has, would it?"

Adrien opened his mouth to protest, then quickly shut it. Complaining to his father seemed to get privilege taken away from him in the past - he didn't want to push his luck. At least he had his charger and a universal adapter for it. He'd still be able to look at the pictures he had saved on there. "I understand."

"And before you ask, yes, your father left us a small monthly legacy to be administered from your trust for your care and upkeep, but it is not enough to have your larger items shipped over here. We also don't have access to your trust, so we can't replace any of the things you had at your father's house. I'm afraid you'll have to do without your elaborate computer setup, piano, or arcade games… not that we have the room for any of that here, anyway. Your father must have been under the impression that we were more, shall we say, well off than we actually are."

Adrien took another bite of toast and said nothing.

"You'll learn to do without, Adrien." Amelie smiled. "We all have, and Felix has turned out just fine. You'll see."

Grateful, Adrien told himself. He could be an orphan wandering the streets of Paris, or the ward of Nathalie, isolated in an empty, sterile mansion. Aunt Amelie and Felix were family, after all. The only family he had left. He should be grateful. He forced a smile onto his face and nodded.

After the rigorous lessons had completed for the day, Adrien and Felix were sent to their room to prepare for dinner. Adrien was sitting on his bed, waiting for Felix to finish washing his hands when he noticed the collection of pinned butterflies above Felix's desk. His shudder was interrupted by the noise of the bedroom door closing.

"Hey, Adrien… I think we got off on the wrong foot. I'm sorry. We're even now, okay?" Felix walked up to Adrien and extended his left hand, a silver ring shining on his finger.

Adrien stood and clasped his cousin's hand. "I'm sorry, too. What do you mean, even?"

"Oh, you know, you didn't come to my father's funeral, and I didn't come to yours. Even."

Adrien dropped his hand to his side and wiped off the sudden clamminess he felt on his jeans. "Don't mention it, Felix." Ever.