Snow day!(though I don't understand why we fully remote people were also given a snow day but I'm not mad.) I was too excited and began writing the next chapter so it should be out soon.

Chapter Thirteen

An Old Face

"I thought we were going to Alix." With their straightforward plan laid out the two had escaped from the school and began driving to where Hugo thought was Alix's house. But instead, his father had driven back home and they'd spent the past minute sitting in pure silence.

He finished responding to an email from one of his students before meeting his son's confused gaze."We are but not today."

"Why?" Hugo asked, frowning as he felt his phone vibrate once more.

"Your mom's already going to be suspicious about why we've been gone so long. And Alix is bound to tell her we asked her to use the bunny miraculous so I want her to be in a good mood when we do,"

Hugo shuddered. His mom didn't get mad often but when she did you better believe she was mad."What do you think she's going to do?"

Adrien eyed his son, smiling assuringly."Don't worry, she'll just yell at me for not being responsible and using the miraculous without her consent. But she won't be mad at you,"

"Good," he said. Glancing down at his phone he shot back a text to his girlfriend's many. Pushing the door open sweat instantly drew across his forehead as a hot summer breathe blew past. Paris never got too hot during the summer months but he could already tell this would be a scorcher. Remembering that Logan had made plans with some of their other friends to go swimming at the indoor pool. The memory relieved him slightly and expecting the AC would be blasting in the apartment also relieved him.

Stepping out the sun beat down but he tried to keep the idea of the cold apartment in his mind."You coming?" Hugo asked as his dad remained situated in the car.

"Go ahead I've just got some emails to check up on," he said mentally groaning as the same student responded with an equally as confused message.

"Okay," he mumbled, hurrying into the apartment building trying to think up an excuse to where they'd been.

Hearing the car door shut, Adrien clicked on the radio. Clicking through the stations, he ended on some pop channel that wouldn't be her first pick but would suffice. His quick tapping at his phone screen was interrupted when the radio abruptly shut off and he heard the car door quietly shut again. Clicking the send button, his attention was caught as a voice that chilled him to the bones spoke out.

"From your years of piano lessons, I'm disappointed to find you've taken a liking to pop music,"

His head turned at a rapid pace and the face he saw was one he never thought he would. He didn't want to see this person and would've knocked him out cold if he weren't so stunned. Seeing the man's lips slip into a devilish grin at his reaction made his blood boil even more.

"Happy to see me, son?"

At the sight of his father, Adrien glowered fist tensing around his phone."I'm not your son." He wasn't sure that's what he said but he believed it. After Gabriel tried to kill his own son - even if it was to bring his mom back, Adrien was never able to consider him as Gabriel's son.

"You may want to believe that but I hate to say it Adrien but you'll alwa-"

"How the hell are you here?" he asked, trying to keep his temper down even if a criminal was somehow in his car.

Gabriel scowled looking down at the orange shirt with the number 61 printed on the back."I have my ways Adrien but you have no need to worry since I'll be back before any of those bastards notice."

"Well then get the fuck back there," he cursed, wishing he had his miraculous on him.

"I'm sad to see parenthood has given you a dirty mouth," he said frowning as he looked ahead at the road.

"No, you trying to kill my son did." He'd never gotten the chance to lash out at his father and personally, he would rather not than speak to the man at all.

Gabriel rolled his eyes, glaring at his son he hadn't seen in over a decade."Must you bring that up?"

"Yes, yes I will. If you don't remember you trying to kill him is the reason you've been in jail for the past 16 years," Adrien said, a small fraction of his mind concerned his grip could damage his relatively old phone.

"Speaking of my jail sentence and upcoming trial," Gabriel said his lips curling into another devious smile."I've come here to discuss that with you,"

"No," Adrien said outright.

"I haven't said anything."

"Yes but I know what you're going to and no. My answer is no."

Smirk still running across his face the grey-eyed man turned to his son, only happier at the panic and anger the man wore."No to what?"

He's messing with you. Adrien, don't let him feel satisfied. He wouldn't let his father use him for his own good. He wouldn't." I'm not going to plead your guilt because both of us know you deserved the death trial."

The smile faded to a brief frown as Gabriel leaned back in the seat."Harsh don't you think. I know we haven't met eye to eye but you don't want me dead."

"Yes," Adrien said with certainty."Yes, I do,"

"Hmm," Gabriel hummed, part of him genuinely surprised by his son's answer."Still harsh but luckily that isn't what I've come to ask you for." Adrien raised an eyebrow, unable to think of what else his father could want. With his and Hugo's plan, he was indefinitely going to be sent back to jail so there was no reason for him to listen to this."I'm going to plead guilty."

Well, he certainly hadn't been expecting that." W-What?" he stuttered, not sure if he'd heard the man right.

"I said that I will plead guilty to all accused crimes and to give proof I will state the reason every person was akumatized. And yes I will be given life in jail or the death trial but I will not fight either."

Yes, this was too good to be true so either his dad was delusional or he was dreaming."You ca-"

"But Adrien, I need you to do something,"

Of course, there was something else. Adrien frowned, not sure if he wanted to know what this task was. But if doing some small task confirmed his father would be locked away forever then he at least wanted to know."What do you want me to do?" he asked hesitantly.

Gabriel grinned."I need your and Ms. Dup-" he paused, a sigh escaping him as he remembered Marinette was his daughter in law." Mrs. Agreste's miraculous."

"No, no way!" Adrien said, beginning to push the car door open.

Sighing again, Gabriel tapped the lock button, trapping him and his son inside of the car."Hear me out, Adrien-"

"No, no I won't! I let you take my miraculous once and I won't let it happen again. I will not let my so-"

"That's where you're wrong," Gabriel interrupted, smirking at Adrien's curious silence."Your son is expecting a child of his own, yes?"

Adrien froze, blood running cold at the accurate statement."Yes, how do you-"

"I have my ways but as I was saying with this other child it can be used as a sacrifice instead of your Hugo."

"What!" Adrien shrieked, unable to believe his father would suggest such a thing."How could you expect-"

"I know it might sound rash to you but if you lend me the miraculous I will make the wish and your mother will be brought back. I will plead guilty and be sent to jail or sentenced to death but your mother will have her life back, you will have your mother, and your son will have his future back,"

It didn't make the suggestion of killing his grandson or daughter sound any better."That's insane, I would never do that and how would I explain it-"

"Now that's where things are different. Whilst I was in jail it occurred to me that your mother is merely in a coma. Over the years doctors have said she's been healing more but will most likely never awaken. Before I needed a living being, a full-born baby to bring her back but with her current state it wouldn't take a living baby but part of one. What I'm saying is if the wish is made now your mother will begin to awaken and the baby's death can be blamed as a miscarriage."

Over the years Adrien had visited his mother multiple times. Since his father had never written up a will, Gabriel had gotten to decided where his money went and he chose for it to go to keeping Emilie on life support. And that's where she'd been for the past 16 years. Adrien missed his mother greatly but could he really let his son's child die to awaken her?

"I can't," Adrien said tugging at the door. With a frown, Gabriel released his hold on the lock button allowing his son to step out.

"I'll make a deal with you Adrien. You have the next three weeks to decide. If you choose no then I have my ways and I will certainly be freed. And once I am you will regret it, but if you choose yes then leave the miraculous at the corner of Glenmeyer. You will find them on your balcony the next week and your mother will awaken. I will plead guilty and you will never have to worry about me."

"Get out," Adrien hissed slamming the car door shut. He didn't look back as he ripped the apartment door open beginning to climb the many stairs. This idea was absurd! He hadn't wanted his son to die so of course, Hugo wouldn't want his child to die, but what would his father do? It was obvious that Gabriel was capable of many things and he'd made it clear he was willing to do anything to get what he wants. So what would he do? Would he try to hurt them? And to what extent would hurting them go?

And was it worth it? He of course hated the idea but was it worth it? He'd be protecting his family and it wasn't like Lyric and Hugo wouldn't be able to have kids in the future. This baby would just happen to not make it and then they'd be able to live their life and have kids when they were ready.

"So where were you two?" Marinette asked with a playful smile.

Not having realized he'd entered their apartment Adrien forced an awkward smile onto his face."I forgot my work bag and Hugo came along so we could continue our talk."

Though she had a feeling it was a lie, Marinette smiled able to tell the father-son talked had helped Hugo. Adrien's eyes traveled to their oldest son. No, he couldn't do this. But at the same time, he didn't want to risk his family getting hurt even if that meant his grandchild had to die.

"Hey Leer," Hugo said as he walked down the hallway. Stepping over his brother's toy cars scattered across the rug, he entered his bedroom sitting down on his bed.

"Hi," her voice rang, sounding more excited than it usually would.

Thinking why she'd be calling him the teen smiled."You had an ultrasound right?"

Though a lot had happened since she'd left his house she couldn't help but be happy."Yup,"

"And the baby's good?" he asked hesitantly.

Lyric grinned. Though she was over the moon excited she couldn't help but feel bad as she thought back to her and Blossom's conversation."The doctor said our little girl's a perfect weight and size."

Hugo nodded smiling."That's-" he paused."Little girl?"

"Think she'll be a daddy's girl?"

The teenager laughed deliriously."We're having a girl?"

"Yup," Lyric chimed, hand slipping under her t-shirt to hold her small baby bump.

He'd never cared much about the gender but the very thought of having his own daughter filled the 16-year-old with a fuzzy feeling and he couldn't help but wonder if his dad had felt like that when he found out he was a boy.