When he entered his home once again, Gabriel strode forward with confidence. After his string of failures, now he felt that he had succeeded for real. Now he could fix his mistakes, restore Adrien, and have his whole family together again.
"Sir," came a voice from the top of the stairs. Gabriel paused with his hand on his office door.
"Nathalie," Gabriel responded, seeing his devout assistant standing at the top of the stairs. She had been weakened by use of the peacock miraculous, lending herself to occasional dizzy spells. Today, however, she stood tall and proud.
"What has been going on today, sir?" Nathalie asked, her face creased with worry, as she walked primly down the stairs, "I saw you out earlier fighting alongside Ladybug, and now you went out to face a supervillain alone?"
"Yes, well," Gabriel sighed, "I made my wish... and..."
Nathalie recoiled at this, her face a mask of conflicting but suppressed emotions. She kept her lips tight, biting back whatever was on her mind.
"Unfortunately, the consequence Ladybug spoke of, it happened," Gabriel looked away from his assistant, unable to look her in the eye as he recounted his failure, "and now Adrien is in a coma."
"Adrien!" Nathalie couldn't contain herself anymore, her eyes going wide, the creases deepening, "Can't you just wish him back then?"
"It's not that simple," Gabriel shook his head, "I don't know what the consequences would be for a second wish, that's why I brought Marinette here. She's had close contact with the Guardian and I thought she could help."
"I see," Nathalie nodded, understanding, "If there's anything I can do to help, sir, I'm still here for you."
"Yes, actually," Gabriel fished into his pocket and pulled out the ladybug and cat noir miraculous, "These kwamis need to recharge. Feed them and bring them back to me downstairs."
"Of course, sir," Nathalie obediently grabbed the magic jewels and turned toward the kitchen.
When Gabriel walked down the path to the glass capsule that now held his son, he could hear the whimpering of the two women still there, hiding in the bushes. Both were under Night Shade's influence, but he could do nothing for them until Tikki was restored and the miraculous ladybug power could be utilized.
"Emilie," Gabriel whispered, moving carefully toward her hiding place behind the capsule, "I'm going to fix this. I don't know how yet, but I'm going to make our family whole again."
Emilie responded only with the frightened look in her eyes, as though seeing a monster before her. Because I am a monster, Gabriel sighed, with all that I've done, and this is all I have to show for it. But no more. From today, I'm going to do better. My time of being a monster is over.
As he waited there, unable to comfort his wife, unable to hear his son's voice, with no choice but to wait for Nathalie, he finally realized what had to be done. He would restore his son, and he would give anything – anything – to do it.