Marinette woke with a start. Adrien's room around her was dark. She noticed she was alone, the blinds closed and the clock read three in the afternoon.

Reaching for her phone, she had multiple text messages from her parents.

Maman: Call us when you wake up, Gabriel told us about the Akuma. We love you.

Before Marinette could read any of the previous messages, a bright circle appeared at the bottom of the bed. Out stepped a tall slender figure, and the circle disappeared.

"Hello my sweet," a soft female voice greeted her, as Marinette scrambled to turn on the bedside lamp.

Flicking the switch, Marinette gazed upon a beautiful woman. Slender in build, blonde hair flowing loose past her shoulder, swept to one side. Piercing green eyes, and a friendly loving smile.

"Emilie? Emilie Agreste?" Marinette stared in astonishment at the lady before her. "Is that really you?"

"Yes." Emilie smiled and nodded, as she made her way over to Marinette. Embracing the stunned bluenette, who faltered for a moment before returning the gesture.

"Wh-how...how are you here?"

"I have come too right the wrongs, before they are made." She pulled away slightly from the embrace to look down on Marinette. "You are so special Marinette, and you do everything you can for everyone," she hesitated before hugging Marinette tightly again. "But you can not bring me back."

After an emotional embrace with Gabriel and Adrien, Emilie turned to Nathalie. Hugging her old friend tightly, Emilie pulled Gabriel and Adrien in once more, surrounding her family with her love.

Tears welled in her eyes, as she was released from their embraces. Constant contact was still present between her, Gabriel and Adrien, as she sat them down tentatively on the settee in their big, open living room. Nathalie sat on the floor at her feet, her hands on Emilie's knee, none of them wanting to let her go. Marinette had made way to leave to give them privacy, but Emilie insisted she stay. She sat next to Adrien, who refused to let her hand go. Marinette was his safety, she was his home, and he was just about crumbling.

"I know none of you want to hear why I can not be brought back, but I must show you." Emilie started softly and calmly. "Reality. Fluff, Trixx, divide. Let's rest."

The firm illusion dissolved. her body engulfed in two sets of lights as the Kwami exited her Miraculous', left in her place, was a gaunt, greying lady, barely recognisable bar her green eyes.

"This is what I am, what I will be." Everyone gasped in shock. Sadness reigned through each and every person sat around her. Speechless. Emilie continued in the same calming manner, which seemed to be causing more strain now. "I am not a healthy person, my body is not meant to be here anymore."

Gabriel sobbed as he held her fragile figure close, not wanting to let her go. "We, we can-we can find a way-"

"Sssshhhh," she gently soothed him, nuzzling his nose with hers, as Adrien's grip on Marinette's hand tightened. Nathalie sobbed in her lap.

"I will give my life for yours," Nathalie emotionally declared through tears, as her shoulders moved with each sob that left her.

"You did Nathalie," Emilie placed a hand on her best friends shoulder. "As did Gabriel, and another," her eyes glistening as she looked to Marinette, "I have come back several times, and this is the way in which I have chosen to show you, your efforts will be in vain. You can not save me."

"But-"

"No, I can not let any of you give your life for me." Emilie was firm as the tears rolled down her hollow cheeks. "You need to mourn me," she looked to her family, "you need to let me go." She brought Gabriel's eye level to hers, prompting him to look at her. "You need to let me go," she smiled lovingly, acceptance evident in her instructions.

"You are all amazing people. Marinette," she turned to the bluenette, who was stifling her gentle sobs while comforting Adrien. "I have never met anyone who would be more suited to Adrien. I have come to love you, in such a short space of time, when I went back last time and found you had given yourself," Emilie's voice cracked. "I knew you would all keep trying to bring me back. But you can not, you must not."

Adrien sniffed violently as he looked to his mother. "I don't want to be without you." He clasped Marinette's hand in his as he searched his mother's eyes. "Are you certain there is no way to save you."

"My son, I am always going to be with you." She kissed him affectionately on his forehead, as she wiped his tears away with her thumb. "You have grown into a remarkable young man, I love you so much, and I could not be prouder of you." She whispered through the sobs that fought to come out. "You are the best son I could have ever wished for," she kissed him once more, and brought Gabriel's hand to theirs, "you and your father are the best people I could have ever had the honour of marrying, and raising. You must not dwell on what could have been, but only what is to come."

Nathalie asked quietly, the question on everyone's lips, "how long until-"

"I must leave you all shortly," Emilie answered somberly, "I do not have much time left myself, I must return these Miraculous' back to where they came from-"

"But if we don't-"

"I have a friend waiting for me in the burrow." She said knowingly with a smile, her eyes lingering on Nathalie. "I have written you each a letter, something which I hope will bring comfort while offering some explanation and guidance." She looked to Gabriel, "do not make any rash decisions my love," she kissed him lovingly. "You can make amends without turning yourself in, I promise."

"I love you Emilie, my light in the darkness, my princess now and forever." Gabriel whispered lovingly, fighting back the pain of saying goodbye to his wife.

"I love you my prince, my calm in the storm, my home, my Gabriel." She looked to them all individually, "I love each and everyone of you," she gazed at them lovingly, with sadness in her features. "And now I must say goodbye."

Two days had passed since they had been visited by Emilie. Gabriel stood in his office with his letter from her in his hand. Reflecting on the words inside.

Understandably, he had not sent Adrien to school, and Marinette's parents had allowed her time off also, even though they had been kept in the dark for most of the details.

Emilie's letter had instructed him to come clean for the most part. That when she had become ill, he had not found a cure for her coma, and had kept her in a cryogenically frozen state. As rich and eccentric as he had been known to be, this was actually not hard for people to believe. She instructed him to tell people that he had felt guilty for leaving Adrien in the dark, that he was a man suffering, and again, this was not hard for people to believe either. For it was in fact the truth.

A service was being planned to give her a send off fit for a queen, although, she had not requested it. Gabriel thought it would be fitting for all the people who loved her, to be able to get the closure they deserved.

At her request, he was to continue using the butterfly Miraculous, to provide inspiration and courage, as he had done many years before. This had been discussed, and both Adrien and Marinette had agreed that they thought it would be fitting after all the devastation that had been caused during his plight.

After the footage of the Avenger Akumatisation had aired, many now believed Hawkmoth was dead. So explaining the disappearance of Paris' most notorious villain had been easy for Ladybug. That the identity of the villain was still unknown, due to the person beneath the mask magically disintegrating once the Miraculous' had been destroyed and removed. The lack of knowledge held by the general population of Paris had come in handy for this cover story to have worked, and now the Miraculous users were to be honoured by the country, and recognised for their efforts. A bittersweet pill for them both.

Marinette was currently communicating with the temple in the mountains, to look at repairing the Peacock Miraculous, they were also planning on giving her proper training for being the guardian. They felt she, along with Adrien, had proved themselves, and deserved to be joint guardians, so they would be forever intertwined, long after redistributing their own Miraculous'.

As far as our heroes were concerned, there was not much for them to do anymore, apart from build their life together, adjusting to this new normal. Little did they know about the surprise they would be receiving when they went back to school, the following Monday.

I hope I have done this chapter justice. I have mixed emotions about not bringing Emilie back, and I would love to hear your take on this.

Thank you for reading, and the comments, follows and faves. We're almost finished with this fanfic, I hope you have enjoyed what you have read so far!

Lady Rhi X