Author's Note: Hey guys SnivyLord here! I just wanted to let you know that the chapters after Chapter 24 are going to take some time, but I am writing them right now so don't worry because I am working steadily on getting these chapters out. I wanted to thank you all for the lovely reviews and I sincerely hope you all enjoy the story and tell me all about it, because I do read all of them. I took a lot of influences for this chapter and I really hope you'll like it. I'll see you guys in the next chapter: Chapter 24: A Father Again.
What do I want? It's to get out of here, to wake up and fight once again for the cause I believe in, but I can't do that. Does that ultimately mean that I must remain here? I can feel that I have seen these shores before, my memories slowly washing away here. It must be such a sad and lonely place, nobody to love and nobody to turn to. This is a fitting place for memories to disappear. However, I'll wait here... I know someone will find me, and these waters will carry me far far away from here. Into the light.
Louis wandered through the endless darkness, hearing his own footsteps pounding away at the floor for what seemed like ages. Finally, his eyes caught a difference in the different shades of darkness he was seeing and he could actually make out hints of light. Louis then covered his eyes as he made it out onto what seemed like a clearing with a beach. He could hear the sounds of the lapping water and the moon shined its ephemeral light on the waters.
"Where... am I?" Louis carefully stepped out into the light, noticing the full moon and its oddly weird size. It seemed bigger than the moons he'd seen, but this was a dream, so what difference did it make, "another random place of the day I see... damn it. I really thought that was a way out of here." Louis sighed as he walked up to the water and tried to see the bottom, but it was a dark and murky depth that he couldn't see. Suddenly, he felt like he was being watched and he turned around to find a woman in a long beige coat sitting on a rock, watching him.
"So you've found your way here too? It's not often I get visitors," the woman spoke as Louis slowly let down his guard and walked up to her and sat on the sand, watching her carefully. She seemed familiar and he's sure he's seen her somewhere before.
"Well, a pit of darkness and a beach at night wasn't exactly what I thought in mind. But... do I know you from somewhere?" Louis asked, looking up at her as she stared out over the waters.
"I don't think we've ever met, but you have heard of me. My name is Emilie," the woman answered as Louis suddenly realized who she was.
"Wait, Emilie? As in, Dad's mom Emilie? Grandma?" Louis asked incredulously as Emilie laughed nervously and nodded.
"Well I don't think I'm old enough to be your grandma but technically I am. It's nice to finally meet you Louis," Emilie pulled a warm smile that Louis returned and they stared out over the ocean together.
"So? Why are you here? Did you get blown up by Gabriel too?" Louis mumbled ruefully as he felt her stiffen next to him and he realized how rude he was, "Oh Emilie I am so sorry, I didn't know what I was"
"No it's fine, it's just... I can't help but think you're right. Ever since I went into that coma some almost 20 years ago, I feel like everyone's lives were uprooted by him." Emilie explained as Louis nodded and thought about what she said, contemplating how 20 long years has passed for her.
"Well, Dad told me your condition was a permanent vegetative state and Gabriel paid huge amounts of money to keep you alive for this long," Louis fiddled with his thumbs as he heard her sigh.
"Sometimes I wished things didn't have to escalate this far. But Louis, understand that none of this is your fault. If it's anyone's, it's mine," Emilie folded her hands together and looked down in her lap as if she was ashamed.
Louis glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and sighed, "I wish I could blame you for what happened, but I know that I can't. Because it really isn't your fault." He lowered his head to his knees and continued looking out over the water.
"You remind me a lot of Adrien. You really do take after your father," Emilie chuckled as she brought a hand to her lips to stifle them. Louis perked up at the sentence, but then eased off again.
"Really? I hardly know him, and yet, it seems as if I've known him my entire life. It hardly makes up for anything though. At some point, it just gets difficult to decide who to blame," Louis thought aloud as Emilie nodded her head in agreement and replied.
"You don't know whether to blame me, your father, or even Gabriel. And now, when you're staring at death and it's darkness in the face, it seems ambiguously significant," Emilie thought with Louis subconsciously digging his fingers into the sand and playing with the many granules, letting them slip between his fingers.
"I stared at my challenge in the face, and I failed. I remember when I laid there, disappearing in front of my parents, I felt so bitter yet hopeful," Louis murmured as he let the sound of the waves fill his ears; he felt his unease fading and he sank more into a place of complacency.
Emilie adjusted her sitting position before noting something else, "You know, what I find different about you?" Louis turned his head slightly to look at her, "you always were more in touch with your emotions than Adrien ever was. You're constantly haunted by your inner demons and people close to you can tell. Adrien, he always wanted to think he was an open book to his friends, but he knew he wasn't. You always think about your regrets, and I believe that's what's keeping you here."
"Really? My regrets... dragged me down into a deeper abyss? I see... so, given that you've been here longer than I have, I assume your regrets are keeping you here as well?" Louis remarked as he fully turned his head to look at Emilie, who looked out over the ocean."
"Perhaps," Emilie said quietly.
"Well, I failed, so... is this place it? I'm just going to stay here with my regrets? Because I've already proven that I can't seem to let go of my failures," Louis scoffed as he rested his chin on his knees. Emilie took a moment to gaze upon Louis for a moment before replying.
"No, I don't believe so... if it helps, I want you to think about the mistakes you made, and the reason why you made them. Then think, what was the consequence of having to make that mistake that specific way. It doesn't have to be a negative consequence, but think about what your action gave you. And maybe that will teach you to appreciate your decisions and how those decisions helped you get this far, good or bad. I mean, you're 14... so you must be doing something right if you've survived this long."
Louis thought about his mistakes as Emilie told him, and he had a rush of memories, not just from this dreamworld, but also from reality. He thought about how a six year old made the decision to fight against a 40 or so year old man and nearly get himself killed. He stabbed the man with a scalpel for goodness sake. However, when he thought about it, the reason he did it was because he was protecting his mom and his siblings. Albeit thanks to him, they all survived, and when Louis thought about that, he felt his chest get lighter.
"Good, you're seeing the light behind your decisions. It's not just a traumatising decision that cripples your ability to appreciate fortunate things in your life. You can do it. You can let it go, continue Louis," Emilie urged as Louis nodded and closed his eyes to let the nostalgia wash over him again. He thought about the recital bombing, and how he made the mistake of agreeing to Gabriel's plan to blow up the recital hall. But what did he make that decision for? What was the light behind it? He did it because he wanted to buy time for his family and save them from being sniped.
"And you did exactly that," Emilie remarked as Louis opened his eyes again as he flashed Emilie a questionable look.
"Are you reading my mind or something?" Louis asked incredulously.
"Something like that. Now, know this. You did succeed in buying time, you don't know this, but Nathalie stopped the snipers while you were playing," Emilie explained, and with this Louis' eyes widened in shock.
"Sh-she did?" Louis stuttered out his response, his ears couldn't believe that Nathalie went ahead and stopped the snipers. He guessed he should be thankful that Nathalie had the courage to stop them, even after the mean things he said.
"I can tell you regret that mistake a lot, since it was part of the premise of your challenge, but know that you did succeed and you made that decision for a good reason," Emilie reassured Louis, who nodded and felt a small smile tug at his lips, "A good quality for a leader is that they can't second guess their choices, and they consider them with a good ulterior motive in mind for all the people they are responsible for. And you got it in spades, for all of your family."
"But I couldn't... I couldn't stop him in the end," Louis tried to doubt himself again but Emilie wouldn't have it.
"You couldn't, and that's true, but that isn't your fault. You didn't know Gabriel had a fail safe in place in case if Adrien and Marinette managed to stop you. Your biggest fear in that moment was that you were going to kill your family with your own hands. But you didn't, however Gabriel was responsible as he may have indirectly caused you to activate the bomb. Regardless, you didn't activate it, but the bomb ended up going off anyway," Emilie explained calmly as Louis huffed out an annoyed breath and snapped his head towards Emilie.
"And that's supposed to make me feel better?!" Louis exclaimed as Emilie let out a small chuckle and continued to reach a hand out and ruffle Louis' hair slightly.
"Your family is fighting right now to wake up from their nightmare right? Along with you, and all of you are going to make it back to reality. I promise," Emilie spoke with a impassioned voice, and Louis looked up to see that unwavering certainty in her eyes. At that moment, he knew she meant it.
"But what about you?" Louis asked as he wiped a tear away from the intense moment, "you... are you going to make it back?"
Emilie sighed and flashed him a small smile, "It's a little too late for me Louis, I've already died in real life not too long ago," Louis gasped and whispered an "oh no" under his breath as he reached up and grabbed his grandma's hand.
"I'm sorry... I had no idea, and yet you're helping me through this... how... could this happen? You deserve to be alive!" Louis exclaimed as she could see the disdain and lament in his eyes.
"There's no need to be sad Louis, I wanted to help you, my grandson went through so many things that he shouldn't have. Your childhood deserved to be beautiful and magical, and yet your life was plagued by me and Gabriel. And I'm sorry that I couldn't do more... No one came for me in the land of ocean and sky, where the consciousness dies. Your sister ended up there, and I saved her too before it was too late," Emilie broke down crying, knowing that this was the last thing she can do for the people she cares about. It made her feel so bitter and sad, her tears becoming lost in the sand. She felt like such a heavy weight was dragging down her body as she talked, "I hope you can forgive me someday when you make it back..."
"Grandma... Emilie... there's nothing to forgive. Thank you for everything, truly. Just know that I'm not going to blame it on you, ever, and I'm sorry I thought I could before. But I know Dad is trying to step up to his role. I just can't seem to believe it," Louis replied tearfully, squeezing his grandma's hand for a moment and just before Emilie managed to reply, another voice joined their conversation.
"And you shouldn't... because he never will," Emilie and Louis stood up from their seats and whipped around to find Gabriel walking up to the shore and staring out over the water. After a moment, he took a long look at the pair, who were obviously alarmed.
"Gabriel! W-what are you doing here?" Emilie asked as Louis looked away uninterested as she kept her eyes on him.
"I thought I would find you here in this place Emilie... and you don't deserve to be here..." Gabriel murmured with Louis scoffing at his words and laughing out loud.
"That's rich, coming from you. You're the one that should be here. Not her," Louis laughed ruefully as he looked sideways at Gabriel, who smirked and continued to look out over the water.
"Always one to start a fight Louis? I truly don't understand how you can still be so feisty despite all I've done to you," Gabriel chuckled as he turned to face the pair and Louis narrowed his eyes at the action. The tension was palpable, the moon shone upon the three, it's moonlight illuminating the different expressions on everyone's faces. Anger. Amusement. Apathy.
"Hmph, you think you can show up here, all calm and collected like nothing happened. Emilie has been watching from afar, witnessing the evil atrocities you have committed and yet you still have the audacity to stand there like you're still worthy of forgiveness, YOU MAKE ME SICK!" Louis yelled with increasing volume as he felt a hand on his shoulder and he found Emilie looking at him sympathetically and stepping forward ahead of him.
"Louis is right. Gabriel, what has happened to you? You were always meticulous and extremist, but this is too far, EVEN for you. So there's another reason why you're going this far?" Emilie asked as Gabriel closed his eyes in thought and sighed.
"Perhaps... I was bitter, bitter that in spite of what I was doing for Adrien, he found something worthwhile: a family. It seemed as if my efforts were wasted, trying to bring you back Emilie," Gabriel replied with a wistful tone and Louis felt as if something was off about that statement.
"No... that's not the only reason. When Mom told me about the story about when it happened. It was obvious that Adrien was too young to be a father when Mom had me and after that, you... tried to take Hugo and Emma from the hospital when they were born, even though at that point, it would have been reasonable to let Dad know he had kids. Mom had always told me that the artificial insemination incident was an accident, but now. I think you had something to do with it," Louis realized as he kept his train of thought when he thought about the circumstances. He was interrupted from his thoughts when Emilie softly chimed in.
"He did... but you don't know in what way... because you don't remember," Emilie softly said as Louis whipped around at her and was taken aback.
"He did.. what did he do! I know that he threatened us because Mom somehow had conceived Hugo and Emma who were also Dad's kids, but was there something else beneath the surface?" Louis asked exasperatedly as Emilie opened her mouth to respond but closed it again as she thought. However as she opened her mouth to speak again, they heard a shout.
"NO EMILIE! DON'T ANSWER HIS QUESTION!" The two looked in Gabriel's direction to find him rushing towards them with his arm outstretched. Louis immediately placed himself in front of Emilie and grabbed Gabriel's hand and used his other arm to elbow Gabriel hard in the stomach. He heard a grunt of pain and Louis continued by using his foot to kick Gabriel's knee in and pushed him off while he was off balance.
"You little-.." Gabriel started as he got up from the ground, only to be struck by a roundhouse kick to the face by the boy.
"I may not know the full details of what you did... but there's one thing I know for sure: You just have a penchant for control, a complex, an obsession with control!" Louis clenched his fist and looked at Gabriel with a look that could kill. Gabriel tried to wipe off the bruise on his cheek, but only managed to wipe off the blood. Gabriel then abruptly stood up and charged towards Louis, grabbing him by the arms with Louis digging his heels into the ground so he couldn't be pushed back.
"If you think I'm going to be lectured and berated by a boy, YOU ARE SORELY MISTAKEN! I'm taking Emilie back with me and you're going to die here in the darkness!" Gabriel yelled as with greater force, he knocked Louis off balance. Then, Emilie rushes forward and tried to pry them apart to no avail.
"Wait Gabriel! Stop! I'll go with you! Just don't hurt him!" Emilie pleaded as Louis tried to regain his footing but Gabriel swung his arms around and with a loud yell, threw Louis in the ocean. Louis felt himself disconnect from Gabriel and fly through the air as he took one last look at the shore where those two were and fell onto the ominous waters. There was a yell, then a splash, and then nothing. Emilie looked on in disbelief as the boy didn't surface, but the ripples of the splash were washed away by the never ending tides of the ocean, "No..." Emilie sunk to her knees as her eyes remained fixed on the ocean, hopeful that the boy would resurface, but he didn't. After a moment, she looked up at Gabriel, who was looking out at the sea as well.
"It had to be done..." Gabriel murmured as Emilie looked down in her lap and clenched her fists.
"No! It didn't! That boy! He had so much life to live! Are you that bitter and that selfish that you would ruin Adrien's future just to repair your own?" Emilie asked as Gabriel sighed with no response. It was as if there was no difference between right and wrong for him.
"I guess I am..."
Louis felt himself sink into the depths and his body felt heavy and even if he tried, he couldn't move a muscle. It was strange because the water didn't seem to inhibit his ability to breathe, just his ability to move.
"Is this it? My struggle to stay alive... my journey ends here... I have no strategy or plan... no final cards left to play. I have lost... I feel neither pain nor suffering. Just nothing... absolutely nothing," Louis felt his thoughts speak out to him as he sunk further and further away from the minimal light of the surface. The moon did almost nothing to light the waters, but that was fine; he didn't need to see anything anyway. Louis tilted his head down slightly to see that his charm bracelet was glowing brightly in the darkness even though the rest of his body was unknown to him. He could see the yellow, teal, magenta, and green colors clearly as his body became light.
"My charm bracelet... your light was granted by my parents' hope and love. You don't need to save me, not anymore. I don't know how I'll get out of this," Louis started to say to himself as he suddenly heard a broken voice fill his ear.
"Lou... fi-... ack... yo-... n... ke... up..." Louis felt bubbles pass him as they made their way to the top, but Louis turned his head around to see the depths, to find a light at the very bottom.
"What?" Louis wondered aloud as the voice became more clear, invigorating him with hope.
"Louis...figh-... ack... you... can... ke... up."
"Louis!" A clear voice cut through his thoughts and Louis whipped around to find that he was still alone. However, he recognized the voice.
"Mom?" Louis called out but another voice filled his ears.
"Louis! Fight back! You can wake up from this nightmare!" That was Adrien's voice, his father's voice calling out to him. More voices started to fill his ears as Louis recognized the voices of his siblings as well.
"Lou! Go towards the light! You're nearly there!" Hugo called out. Louis then turned his body around and felt his body slowly float towards the light. It was strange because Louis couldn't no longer tell which direction was the surface, it was just nothingness.
"Don't let Gabriel dictate your life Lou! I know you can make it!" Emma encouraged Louis, but even though he heard them, his body was wrested out of his control, all he could do was watch the light get closer. Bit by bit, the light started to fill more of the water and it became brighter. Eventually, he felt as if he was near the surface and he faintly saw a hand outstretched to him, as if it was waiting for Louis to its hand. Even though it took a tremendous amount of effort, Louis managed to move his hand and reach it towards the outstretched hand. Slowly, their hands touched and Louis felt the hand's warmth wrap around his. It was like a protective, fatherly force but Louis didn't have the mental will to register who it was. However, that didn't matter because the hand suddenly pulled him forcefully upward and out of the water. A bright light then filled his vision and it was like some sort of dream because his eyes just opened miraculously again, but it wasn't water or darkness or anything like that, but it was a white ceiling. Blinking his eyes slowly, he stared up at the ceiling for a few long moments, wondering if this was somehow a test.
"Ughhhh... This is..." Louis murmured but was too tired to finish. He heard a faint beeping, it's rhythm steady and lonely. Louis slowly turned his head to look at the source, which was a heartbeat monitor, "the hospital?" He weakly let his body relax and he slowly looked down to find that his arms were completely covered in bandages. There was no evidence of skin at all, although it figures considering he was blown up. He heard someone move and he saw a familiar head of blond hair.
"Dad... you're here?" Louis asked weakly as Adrien took his hand and held it firmly in his grasp. The sensation was so familiar and Louis immediately recognized it as the hand that pulled him out of his dream.
"Yeah... and I see you're awake. And to think we almost lost you..." Adrien murmured softly as Louis noticed his tears in his emerald eyes. Louis then chuckled as he relaxed back in his bed.
"You look like you're about to cry... there's really no need to," Louis replied as Adrien feigned a look of mock indignation, "is everyone else awake?"
"They should be soon," Adrien sighed as the pair felt the stirring of the other family members.
"Thanks Dad for being here... not just for me... but for all of us, I hope we can be a real family under more favorable... circumstances," Louis said through gasps of breath as Adrien softly shushed him and smiled warmly at him.
"I'm really looking forward to it."
"Louis? Is he alright?" The pair heard Marinette say as she turned her head to see her son. Her voice was weak, barely over a whisper.
"Yeah Mom, I'm awake," Louis replied as they heard a sob come from the woman.
"Thank god, he's alright... he's alright... my prayers have been answered," Marinette sighed as Louis smiled and the two couldn't help but grin at each other, with Adrien smiling appreciatively between the two.
"Ughhh... where am I?" Hugo moaned as he brought a hand up to his forehead to ease his headache. He looked to the side to find his brother, dad, and mom awake, "Lou! You're awake! We thought we lost you!"
"Is it over?" Emma asked as she blinked several times in her bed to make sure what she was seeing was real. Adrien chuckled slightly and called out to her.
"Yeah, it's real Emma, we're all awake," Adrien reassured her as she sighed in relief and used her hands to keep her eyes open.
"I am never gonna close my eyes and fall asleep again," Emma said determinedly as Louis let out a weak chuckle and replied.
"That may be a little difficult Emm, but sure, you can try."
"Alright, I'm gonna notify the doctor that you're all awake," Adrien said as Louis adjusted the oxygen mask on his face. He gave one last kiss on the cheek to everyone before leaving out the door with a quiet slam. The four didn't say anything to each other as they just stared forward into space. Eventually Louis spoke again, breaking that atmosphere of calmness and replacing it with an atmosphere of uncertainty. No one had an answer nor did they want to; they were simply too tired to be afraid.
"So... what now?"
