Hello, here is part 20. My deepest apologies for the prolonged absence once again. I hope you enjoy this chapter. There aren't many more left to come.

Thank you for all the reviews, favourites and follows. They mean so much.

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug

Chat Noir raced across the room. The pulsing energy of the cataclysm was utterly overpowered by the anger rushing through him. He closed in on his father, prepared to slam his hand against his chest.

He deserved it. He deserved it for everything. All the people he had hurt. All the lies he had told. All the nights Adrien had felt scared and lost and hurting and alone. Every terrible nightmare where Adrien had been haunted by images of his mother, possible fates for her. He had caused all of it.

And he deserved to pay for all of it.

He saw the terror on his father's face. He saw the horror on his friends' faces. He knew the pain of a cataclysm. He had felt one himself.

He was angry. He was so, so angry. And he hurt so, so much. None of the pain of his sprained ankle even compared. A cataclysm didn't compare.

But he couldn't. He couldn't inflict that sort of pain, be the source of that much terror. He couldn't do that. Not to himself. He had always made himself be a better person. He overcame fear. He overcame pain. He let Ladybug go.

He could let his father live.

He skidded to a stop. He expected pain but his ankle seemed numb to it. He stopped, chest heaving, outstretched hand so close to his father that if he pointed towards him he would touch him. He let his hand drop to his side as a cry of anguish tore from him. He turned sharply away from the man, eyes settling on Ladybug.

Who cared about Gabriel Agreste? As far as Chat Noir was concerned, he was dead. He no longer existed, no longer mattered, deserved none of his time or energy or explanations.

But Ladybug did.

"My mother… He had my mother. All this time. He had my mother down there and he never told me."

"Your mother?" Ladybug managed.

"Adrien's mother, my wife, got sick," Hawkmoth returned slowly. "She had been using the peacock miraculous and it had been damaged. There is no cure for what happened to her. No cure besides the wish the ladybug and cat miraculous grants. That was all I ever wanted, Adrien. I wanted your mother back."

Chat Noir looked to Carapace and Rena Rouge. He could see the sorrow and shock on their faces. He wasn't sure what upset them the most. That he was Adrien Agreste? Or that he had it in him to consider killing his father?

"This was not the way. It was not the way," Chat whispered.

"What else was I meant to do?"

"I grieved! I grieved for her and now I am grieving for you!" Chat Noir roared. "You could have told me. You should have told me."

"And done what? Stood by as you watched your mother die? Let you refuse to do what was needed, refuse to save her for what? A city that has never done anything for you?" Hawkmoth snapped.

"The people of Paris mean everything to me! They were my family when you weren't, the only people who actually cared about me when you were doing this monstrous thing. They didn't cause this. You had no right to harm them to get Mom back."

Silence filled the air. Chat Noir felt all eyes on him. There were no plans any more. No one was prepared for the way the situation was playing out. But he still had more to say. He turned sharply towards Hawkmoth.

"And even if you got her back, do you think she'd want to be with you? You terrorised a city. You manipulated good people. You abused me! You think Mom would actually still want to be with you? You think she would even be able to look at you? I can hardly look at you!"

Chat Noir watched the rage form in his father's eyes. He knew that rage. He knew it well. He knew to fear it, to hide when that look came.

But the fear wasn't there. He wasn't alone. He wasn't some disobedient child being punished by his father. He never had been. He'd been a prisoner in a web of emotional and physical abuse. He owed his father nothing. No help. No patience. He understood the rage, he had almost given into it just then. But he hadn't. And he might have been able to forgive one slip in the storm of rage and grief. But not so many, over and over again. Not as many.

No, Hawkmoth… His father was a monster. He'd let himself become a monster. And he was Chat Noir. He and his lady ate monsters for breakfast.

There was nothing to fear with his friends near him.

"You stupid, sentimental child! You don't understand! You could never understand! And you will never breathe a word of this to her! Not if you want to ever leave this house again! Not if you ever want to see your friends again! Not if…"

As Hawkmoth roared, he closed in on Chat. The hero stood strong, cataclysm still burning at his side. The man lifted his hand to slam against the boy's chest. Chat Noir prepared to steady himself.

He needn't have. There was the familiar whine of a yo-yo cutting through the air. A thick black wire wrapped around Hawkmoth's wrist, pulling it to the side.

"If you touch him, him telling your wife will be the last of your worries."

Chat Noir glanced towards Ladybug, watching as she tugged hard on the yo-yo. It dragged Hawkmoth from in front of him, sending him crashing to the floor at Ladybug's feet.

"If you ever cared for your son, give up," Ladybug said, her voice burning like a terrible icy fire. "He needs me far more than you need a beating."

Hawkmoth said nothing and Ladybug stepped over him. She slowly drew near to Chat Noir. He heard her coming, felt the relief begin to chip away at the dam holding back a fresh wave of tears.

"Can you two handle this?" Ladybug said.

Her words were directed to Rena Rouge and Carapace but her eyes were fixed on Chat Noir. Eventually, he was unable to take it. He sprung towards her, ensuring that his pulsing cataclysm never touched her as he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

He heard the yelp of surprise from her and immediately prepared to let go, taking a moment to gather the strength he needed to pull away. Before he had the chance, her arms were around him.

"It's okay," she whispered. "It's okay. It's over."

"Look out!"

Rena's cry came a moment too late. Something collided with Chat Noir and Ladybug, sending the two heroes flying through the air. Chat Noir pushed Ladybug away in mid-air, desperately curling around his cataclysm to ensure she didn't touch it. They hit against the floor hard, Chat doing everything he could to shield his hand. He rolled over several times, crying on in pain and alarm before coming to rest against the wall. He looked over in time to see Mayura helping Hawkmoth to his feet.

Ladybug stumbled up, looking down at him.

"You want to sit this one out, Kitty?" she asked.

Chat Noir shook his head, struggling to his feet. He drew his baton with his free hand, glaring at his father and Mayura.

"Who wants who?" Rena Rouge asked as the heroes surrounded the two villains.

"Hawkmoth's mine," Chat Noir said.

No one objected. No one tried to stop him. Ladybug merely glanced at him, a silent question clear on her face.

Want my help?

Chat Noir nodded and the two sprung into action, launching at Hawkmoth. Rena and Carapace took their cues from the other two, springing towards Mayura.

The room became a blur of colours as the six clashed. Mayura lashed out a vicious strike at Rena, Carapace rushing to protect her with his shield. Ladybug managed to knock Hawkmoth's cane from his hand, allowing Chat Noir to rake a blow across his chest. He stumbled back, Ladybug rushing to capitalise. As Hawkmoth fell, he fell beside his cane. Ladybug didn't notice his hand tightening around the weapon, continuing to draw closer. Chat Noir leapt forwards, using his baton to blow the swinging cane. The ruthlessness of the blow reverberated through his baton, infuriating Chat Noir. He shielded Ladybug as Hawkmoth stood, launching himself forwards.

Father and son duelled viciously, baton slamming against cane like sabres clashing. Chat Noir battled furiously, matching his father's every blow. His father had made him put everything into his imposed hobbies, fencing included. Chat Noir was determined to make him regret it. He managed to slip his baton through his father's defences, pressing the button to elongate it. Hawkmoth went sailing through the air, slamming hard into the wall. Then he slid down, hitting the floor. Chat Noir stared at him, waiting for any signs that his father was going to move. Seeing none, he anxiously looked around for Ladybug. The duel had lasted too long for her to have just been recovering. Terror filled him as he thought she might have been injured.

Instead, he saw that she was standing over an unconscious Mayura as Rena Rouge helped Carapace to his feet nearby.

"Sorry for leaving you," Ladybug said. "But you clearly had it covered."

"It's done. It's over."

As if sensing the fight was finished, Chat's ring began to bleep. Guilt raced through him.

"Plagg, claws in."

His friends already knew. There was no point trying to hide his identity from them any more. Adrien felt the power of the ring leave him. Plagg hadn't even regained his form before Adrien had dropped heavily to the floor. His ankle was agonising. His heart was broken. He was so, so tired.

"Plagg, I am so sorry," Adrien whispered.

His kwami swooped towards him, pressing himself against the boy's cheek. He shook his head.

"You were upset. I get it. Nothing some camembert can't fix."

"I wanted to… I should have never even thought about using the power like that. I shouldn't have…"

"Deep breaths, kid," Plagg instructed. "I know you. I knew you would never have done it."

Adrien relaxed into the feeling of the kwami against his face, the hug meaning so much to him.

"I owe you so much," Adrien said. "I would have none of this if not for you."

Plagg said nothing but he didn't need to. Adrien knew exactly what his kwami was thinking, that he was glad Adrien knew he had people around him, that he was glad that his holder was safe once more.

Adrien was vaguely aware of Ladybug securing Hawkmoth and Mayura. She stripped them of their miraculouses and he couldn't look, couldn't dare to see his father again. A part of him tried to feel triumphant. They had won. They had finally won. But no, there wasn't any triumph to celebrate.

Carapace took Gabriel's phone and used it to call the police. He tried to explain the situation but the insanity of it all became clear the moment he opened his mouth. He gave up, telling them that he could explain when they got there.

"The police are coming," he announced, eyes falling onto Ladybug.

She grinned and watched as he looked around for where to place the phone.

"Where's Adrien?" Carapace asked.

Ladybug looked around, realising Chat had disappeared.

"Can you handle things here?" she asked, nodding towards Gabriel and Nathalie. Carapace and Rena Rouge nodded and she murmured her thanks before taking off. Carapace watched her go, frowning.

"Shouldn't I go? He is my best friend."

Rena shook her head.

"She is something more."

Adrien knelt before the pod, shoulders shuddering with sobs, unable to look anywhere but the frozen features of his mother. Plagg clung to his shirt in an attempt at a hug. The kwami didn't know what to say. In all his years, he had never encountered anything like it. And it wasn't like it was an Akuma, something he could use his power against. It was Adrien's world disintegrating around him.

Adrien felt a hand on his shoulder and knew from the pressure, from the way it closed around him, that it was Ladybug.

"Chat," she murmured.

He managed to turn to face her and saw the pain in her eyes. It was eating her up, being unable to help him. Slowly she opened her arms out wide. Adrien accepted the hug, falling into her arms. He wrapped his own around her and buried his head into her shoulder.

"How could he?" Adrien murmured. "How could he do this to her? She's my…"

Ladybug had nothing to say. They both knew it. But her just being there helped him.

"I hate him. I hate him for this. I hate him for making me like him."

Immediately Ladybug recoiled. She looked Adrien in his watery green eyes, ensuring he knew the seriousness of her words.

"You are nothing like him," Ladybug told him firmly. "Nothing."

"I would have killed him. I wanted to. Ladybug, I still want to."

She knew him too well for that. She shook her head, asking if he really did. With a sob, Adrien shook his head.

"I just needed him to know how much he hurt me."

"What your father did to you is unforgivable. What he did to your mother is unforgivable. But you being able to walk away… that just proves how brilliant you are, Chat."

"She's right, kid. You're the best miraculous holders I've ever had. Your father chose and you chose differently. You chose to do the right thing."

There was the sound of a door opening. Ladybug glanced over, stiffening with fear. Then she relaxed. Adrien trusted her judgement. He didn't even bother looking around. He just kept his gaze fixed on his mother.

"Can we…?" Carapace said from behind.

Adrien couldn't muster the strength to look round. He saw Ladybug nod and then heard a voice murmur something he almost didn't catch.

"Wayzz, shell off."

Suddenly a flash of light filled the air behind Adrien. He looked around, unable to see who it was before arms were wrapped around him. He glanced down, seeing a blue t-shirt and headphones around the newcomer's neck.

"Nino?" he gasped.

Nino nodded.

"You're Carapace?" Adrien breathed.

Nino nodded once more, tightening the hug. A newcomer threw herself into the hug. Adrien managed to catch sight of her hair and immediately recognised her as Alya. He should have known, he told himself.

Carefully, terrified, breathing in shuddering breaths, Adrien allowed himself to relax into the embrace of his new family.