Everyone says that time heals all wounds, but no one can tell you what you're supposed to do right now. Right now Lucy can't sleep. It's right now that she can't eat. Right now she still hears his voice and senses his presence even though she knows he's not here. Lucy knows all about time and wounds healing, but even if she had all the time in the world, she still doesn't know what to do with all this hurt right now. It irritated her to think about it as she traced one of her scars on her upper arm. She much preferred wounds she could see. She hated the fact that she did this to herself. Blaming Chat would be lovely but Lucy knew all too well she would never. How is it, that even when we know the outcome of a situation will be bad, we still let ourselves go about it anyway? Just in case we are wrong. Letting there be room for not knowing is the most important thing of all. When there's a big disappointment, we don't know if that's the end of the story. It may just be the beginning of a great adventure. Life is like that. We don't know anything. We call something bad; we call it good. But really we just don't know. Even if we really think we do. For both their sake, Chat, and Lucy decided to distance themselves from one another. This time, as a mutual decision so that they could both lick their wounds. There were no hard feelings between the pair any longer. No anger or frustration, only acceptance and a little bit of sadness. Sometimes you needed time apart to be able to properly come back together. It wasn't forever, just for now. It had been a long week. School and her friends made keeping her thoughts off Chat Noir rather easy. Marinette and Talia in particular had been most attentive to her as of late. Talia was easy to expect, but it wasn't until Marinette had come to her alone one day after school, that she revealed Chat Noir visiting her the night he made their dinner date. Lucy appreciated Marinette's support, as both girls carried a common affection for boys out of their reach.
Today, Lucy would attempt to help her dear friend, Adrien, with the help of her mother. Adrien had expressed to her on the phone the night before that today a movie was being played in their local theater. This movie was special, as the lead role was played by his mother, Emilie Agreste. Adrien had told Lucy how the movie was never put on the internet and his father had the only DVD copy that he knew of, however, due to Gabriel being so closed off on the subject of his mother, Adrien was unsure if his father would allow him to watch it. Today was the only day it would be shown in a theater. Lucy had asked why it was such an exclusive movie and Adrien explained that before the film could be mass-produced, his mother had disappeared. His father, having the connections he did, had stopped the film from getting far. Adrien explained he wasn't sure why his father had done so, but his mother was a touchy subject and Adrien learned it was best not to question such things. It only upset his father. Lucy had explained the situation to her mother, who offered to try and talk with Gabriel with Adrien. She thought, that maybe, being that she had also lost her husband, even if their situation was under different circumstances, that the older Agreste might just listen to her. Of course, Adrien tried to turn down the offer, not wanting to burden Lucy or her mother with his family issues but Monica insisted. Over the past year, Monica had not spent an overabundant amount of time with Adrien. She did still work a lot and it was clear the boy was on a rather tight schedule himself. But during the few occasions Lucy had had him around while she was present, Monica couldn't help but like the boy. He was kind and polite and Monica felt oh so sad for him whenever his family was brought into a conversation.
Much like the first time they met in the school hallway, anytime his father would come up, the gleam in his eyes would dull and his smile would falter. Monica could not help but hold resentment toward this man whom she did not know. Resenting him for letting the absence of his wife fill him with so much hate. People that hold onto hate for so long do so because they want to avoid dealing with their pain. They falsely believe if they forgive they are letting their enemy believe they are a doormat. What they don't understand is hatred can't be isolated or turned off. It manifests in their health, choices, and belief systems. Their values and religious beliefs make adjustments to justify their negative emotions. Not unlike malware infesting a hard drive, their spirit slowly becomes corrupted and they make choices that don't make logical sense to others. Hatred left unaddressed will crash a person's spirit. The only thing he or she can do is to reboot, by fixing him or herself, not others. Perfectionist parents seem to operate under the illusion that if they can just get their children to be perfect, they will be a perfect family. They put the burden of stability on the child to avoid facing the fact that they, as parents, cannot provide it. The child fails and becomes the scapegoat for family problems. Once again, the child is saddled with the blame.
She didn't know if she would be able to make Gabriel Agreste listen to her. After all, who was she to tell him how to parent his own child. If someone had tried to do the same to her, she might not listen either. It's hard for a parent to hear when someone tried to tell them they are doing it wrong. None the less the mother and daughter duo buzzed the door to the Agreste mansion that Saturday afternoon and did their best to think optimistically. Natalie looked through the camera and recognized Lucy and by a simple once over could see that the older woman next to her was obviously her mother. Glancing up at Gabriel, Natalie decides to see to the, as far as she is aware, 'uninvited' guests and gets up from her desk and leaves the room. As she closes the door behind her, she spots Adrien making his way to the door.
"Ahem." She clears her throat, stopping Adrien before he could press the gate button. "Going somewhere?" She asks calmly to which Adrien scratches the back of his head.
"No! Well, maybe. I still need to talk to my father of course but-"
"Adrien," Natalie says, knowing all too well how this will go. The pleading look on Adrien's face gets a sigh from the assistant. "I will handle your guests." She said walking toward the teen boy. "You, need to go attempt to talk to your father. He is working right now though Adrien. You should know better than to try and make last-minute plans before being able to speak with him."
Adrien gives Natalie a weak smile before nodding and heading to his father. Natalie shakes her head before hitting the buzzer, allowing Lucy and her mother access to the property. She opens the door as they arrive on the steps and allows them to enter.
"I regret to inform you that it would seem Adrien has made his plans with you before speaking with his father. It would be my guess that when he returns it will be to let you know he cannot attend...what was it exactly you were going to do?"
Before either could answer, Adrien appeared in the foyer with a disappointed look planted on his features. He looked from Natalie to the two blondes and shook his head.
"Perhaps another time then," Natalie suggested earning a huff from Monica.
"No, not another time actually." She said, making Natalie blink at her.
"I beg your pardon?"
Monica moved past Natalie, Adrien, and her daughter and made her way to the doors Adrien had come out of. All three looked at her with wide eyes. Natalie looked between the two children before quickly going after Monica. Lucy looked at Adrien gave him a grimacing face.
"I think my mom is gonna yell at your dad." She told him, still making the face.
"Oh..." Adrien went, looking between Lucy's awkward face and the door. "That's not gonna..." He paused. "Well, actually, that might buy us some time!"
"Come again?"
"It's simple really," Adrien said moving closer to Lucy, taking her hand in his own. "Run!" He then shouted, pulling her along as he ran out the front door. Lucy laughed as she ran with him past the gates and onto the street.
OoOoOoOoOo
Gabriel looked closely at Chat and Adrien's rings side by side, noticing the similarities between them Although they had clear differences that the average person would not compare, Gabriel was no Average man. He was a miraculous holder. He was well aware of the camouflage effect the miraculous had. He simply could not believe his son might be Chat Noir. The odds of such a thing were slim to none and yet...The doors to his office bursting open startled Gabriel and he quickly closed his tabs and sent a glare to the woman who had disturbed him. Ah, Monica Sheperd. Or he supposed it was Nelson now. Of course, he knew who she was. Gabriel would never allow his son to be around someone he had no information on. A simple google search had told him all he needed to know about the woman in front of him. A college Lit professor, divorced from a now-deceased American government agent. He looked her up and down, sizing up the woman before him as she placed her hands on her hips and did the same to him.
"I have a bone pick with you, sir." She declared and Gabriel watched as Natalie came stumbling in after her with an apologetic look on her face.
"I'm so sorry Mr. Agreste! She just-" Gabriel held up his hand to silence Natalies excuses.
"I'm afraid you'll have to make an appointment with my Assitant. As I am sure you can imagine I am a very busy man and have no time for...bone picking...as you so put it. I'm sure there is an opening somewhere in the next six or seven months."
"Nah, you look free now," Monica said shaking her arm from Natalie. "You know that kid who lives here? Goes by the name of Adrien? Yeah, I wanted to adopt him."
Gabrial went wide-eyed for a moment before shooting a glare at Monica. "I beg your pardon?"
"Oh, you know, since he doesn't seem to have any parents and all."
"How dare you!"
"No how dare you!" Monica shouted back, walking toward Gabriel with her finger pointed at him. "How dare you make that poor boy feel so isolated and alone!"
"You know nothing of my relationship with my son."
"What relationship? When was the last time you spent any time with Adrien? Talked to him for more than a few seconds? Without a fucking appointment!"
"I think it's time you leave," Gabriel said losing his patience.
"Did you even let him ask you what he wanted to do today?" She asked crossing her arms, giving him an accusing look.
"As I have already told you, I am a very busy man. I don't have time-"
"He wanted to go to the movies."
"Oh!" Gabriel exclaimed. "The movies! How terribly important. How could I have ignored such a request!?" He replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Solitude is what I believe he said the title was."
The hard look that Gabriel had been sending Monica's way softened at the title. Emilie, Adrien's mother, was a subject Gabriel did not like to bring up. Adrien resembled her in so many ways both inside and out. Every time Gabriel looked at his son he felt guilty. Guilty for knowing exactly where Emilie was and not being able to tell Adrien. Guilty for not having brought her back to them already. It was his fault she was in the state she was in. Adrien would never be able to understand how heavy the burden of knowing that was for Gabriel. He had told Adrien that someone had taken her. That she would never leave him or Adrien willingly. It wasn't a lie. Not really. Adrien was almost an adult at the ripe age of 17 but he would always be Gabriel's little boy. His little boy, who was too young...too fragile to handle the knowledge of his mother's status and how she got there.
"He lost her too," Monica spoke softly. Natalie who had been nervously observing the conflict looked to the floor. She had her own feelings about her boss's distance from his son, but it was never her place. It wasn't this woman either, and yet, she couldn't help but feel it was something Gabriel needed to hear. Gabriel gave Monica a hard stare, his fists clenching at his sides.
"I am a very private man ms-"
"Call me Monica." She stopped him, trying to level with the man.
"There are many things people question about me, Monica, but the one thing I will not stand for anyone to question is how much I love my son." Gabriel looked to a photo on a shelf that Adrien had drawn of the three of them when he was a young boy. "Everything I do, I do for him. Even if he does not see it."
"Gabriel," Monica spoke, getting the older Agreste to bring his eyes back to hers.
"I'm not trying to tell you how to raise your son. I just...as someone who also lost their partner-"
"Our situations are not even remotely the same."
"Not the process but the result. How we lost them is irrelevant. We still both lost them. It's easy, to want to busy yourself and wallow in your grief. But grief can destroy you -or focus you. You can decide a relationship was all for nothing if it had to end in death, and you alone. OR you can realize that every moment of it had more meaning than you dared to recognize at the time, so much meaning it scared you, so you just lived, just took for granted the love and laughter of each day, and didn't allow yourself to consider the sacredness of it. But when it's over and you're alone, you begin to see that it wasn't just a movie and a dinner together, not just watching sunsets together, not just scrubbing a floor or washing dishes together or worrying over a high electric bill. It was everything, it was the way of life, every event and precious moment of it. The answer to the mystery of existence is the love you shared sometimes so imperfectly, and when the loss wakes you to the deeper beauty of it, to the sanctity of it, you can't get off your knees for a long time, you're driven to your knees not by the weight of the loss but by gratitude for what preceded the loss. And the ache is always there, but one day, not the emptiness, because to nurture the emptiness, to take solace in it, is to disrespect the gift of life. Your wife is gone but your son is still here and you need to remember that." Monica sighed and fiddled with the wedding ring she still had on her finger. The one she never really took off, even after her divorce. "If you keep him stowed away in this house...what for you is a protective bubble will start to feel like a prison to him, if it doesn't already. Just talk to him. Make time for that."
Gabriel wanted to lash out at Monica. To tell her she had no idea what she was talking about and that she should worry about her own daughter instead of his son, but he didn't. Instead, he just stared at her. This woman could never comprehend the situation he was dealing with. The pain and anger he carried. Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden. It is easier to say "My tooth is aching" than to say "My heart is broken." This woman thought she knew pain. She hardly knew the meaning. Gabriel walked past Monica and Natalie and made his way up the stairs toward Adrien's room. Silence was what he was met with as he approached, rather than the sound of the piano Adrien should have been practicing. The bodyguard, who had been waiting for Adrien to return to his room as he usually did, stepped aside with a worried look crossing his features as Gabriel approached. He knew Adrien was not in the room, he had thought that perhaps he was still with his father. Clearly, he had been wrong.
"Natalie!" Gabriel called out. Natalie and Monica both appeared to find a fuming Gabriel.
"Where is my son?"
"Huh? Sir I-"
"You!" He seethed, directing his attention to Monica. "Your daughter is gone as well. She clearly convinced him to sneak off without my permission!"
"Excuse me!? Lucy would never- well..." Monica paused, her anger mildly subsiding at the accusation as she realized the potential truth behind it. She shook her head. "You know what? No. Adrien is perfectly capable of making his own choices regardless of whose idea it may have been. I told you, he wants to see that movie."
Gabriel pursed his lips and brought his eyes to his son's bodyguard. "Find my son."
OoOoOoOo
Lucy and Adrien quickly walked the streets of Paris in the direction of their local theater. Lucy couldn't help but notice Adrien's face plastered on almost every ad and billboard around. Radiant. Carefree. Dreamy. Adrien... the fragrance. When she had first seen the commercial it had made Lucy laugh, but now it began to annoy her. She couldn't get away from the ad. She smiled at a thought that came into her head as she quickly, out of nowhere shoved her nose into Adrien's neck, taking a deep and obnoxiously loud whiff, causing the boy to yelp and stumble back in surprise. Adrien's face flushed as he looked at her with wide eyes.
"What are you doing!?"
"Sorry." Lucy replied causally. "Im not really a perfume kinda gal but I keep seeing this ad." She said hitching her thumb at one plastered on a bus stop they were passing. "And I couldn't help but think to myself: what exactly is the scent of radiant, carefree, dreamy, Adrien? Then I realized. I have the radiant, carefree, dreamy Adrien right next to me! Gotta say though'" She went on with an unimpressed expression on her face as she continued down the sidewalk. "Not really my taste." Adrien caught back up to Lucy and scoffed jokingly.
"I'll have you know, that radiant, carefree, dreamy Adrien, flew off the shelves!"
Lucy chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know man. I guess people just like the smell of..." She placed her nose against his shoulder as they walked, not really taking in what he had even smelled like when she had shoved her face into his body the first time. She moved away and gave him a funny look. "Of...whatever...that is? What is that?" She asked now sniffing him again. Adrien raised his eyebrow at Lucy as she suddenly reminded him of a bloodhound. "It's like you have some kind of cologne on but... as I said, I'm not a fragrance person so I couldn't tell you what. It's so strange. There is something so familiar... it's like there is whatever your cologne is but there is something else. I can't..?"
It was happening again. It was like he could feel it this time. It hadn't happened in a while. She was smelling Chat Noir. Cheese. His cologne, which he did not wear as Chat Noir, was covering up the scent of Cambert Cheese. Lucy had commented on it once when they were in close proximity. She told him it wasn't a bad smell. She liked cheese as much as the next person. It was just strong. Adrien did what he could to avoid smelling like his Kwami's favorite snack and for the most part, he did a good job. It was only due to Lucy zeroing in on his sent that she noticed it. It was triggering her. His miraculous knew that and was messing with her focus again. As much as he knew it was necessary, Adrien still didn't like that. He always felt guilty when he watched her train of thought get derailed.
"Adrien?! The Adrien Agreste?! This is awesome!" A random guy said, stoping them in the middle of the sidewalk. The outburst brought Lucy back to earth as Adrien looked at the guy slightly frightened. Adrien took Lucy's hand backed away from the guy, hoping he would leave them alone as they walked away but the guy followed. "The first time I saw you in that ad, I told myself, "Wayhem, I got to meet this guy. He's so cool!". What if I was, like, your biggest fan?"
"Uh, yeah, sure," Adrien said, trying to be polite. Wayhem then took out his phone and slung his arms over the two as he popped his head between them. "Say cheese!" He said before snapping the pic. In the photo, Wayhem smiled while Lucy and Adrien had surprised and confused looks on their faces. "Me-Adrien-and-Adrien's-girlfriend. This-is-the-best-day-of-my-life!" Lucy's eyebrows shot upward and Adrien quickly tried to stop the fan from posting his photo to the internet but was too late. It didn't take long before a crowd of people was made aware of Adrien's presence and he and Lucy were chased down the street. Lucy and Adrien moved around the corner and slammed into Marinette who looked at them with surprise. Her eyes went from Adrien to Lucy, to their clasped hands. The familiar feeling of confusion and jealousy becoming more and more prominent.
"Marinette! You live near here. Can we hide out at your place?" Adrien begged, bringing his palms together in a praying stance.
"Uh, at my place? You, hideout? What's going on?"
"Adrien!" A fan called out, leading the crowd.
"Too late!" Lucy said
"Follow me!" Marinette said running off into the park with Adrien and Lucy in tow. Marinette jumped into the fountain in the center of the park and waved for Lucy and Adrien to follow, directing them to lay down and keep quiet. The crowd passed and the teens relaxed.
"Thank you for saving us. People are going crazy over this ad." Adrien told Marinette who smiled.
"You starred in an ad? I had no idea! That's awesome!" Lucy poked her head up from behind Adrien and raised an eyebrow at Marinette as if to say "Really?"
"I don't know about that. In fact, it's really quiet..."He drifts off, finally taking in Marinette's appearance and noticing her PJs "...embarrassing?"
Marinette looks down at her outfit and laughs awkwardly. "Heh, well! All good now! I better get going!" She went to get out of the fountain but Adrien pulled her back down upon spotting his bodyguard.
"Yeah, this was kind of a rouge mission," Lucy explained. Suddenly a flash went off and the three teens were met with a sanitation engineer.
"Adrien and his girlfriends in the fountain!"
"The plot thickens," Lucy mutters as Adrien grabs her hand once more and the three teens run off to hide in the metro in an attempt to avoid the mob.
OOoOoOoOo
In the metro Adrien, Lucy and Marinette catch their breath after their sprint.
"Holy hell!" Lucy yelled. "This is way too much cardio for me. Is this normal for you? I feel like it isn't but maybe I'm not around you in public nearly as much as I think." Adrien shook his head no.
"Not really. I get stopped sometimes, but this doesn't usually happen much. It's because of that stupid ad. People will get over it in a day or two." Adrien looks to Marinette apologetically. "I'm so sorry I got you in this crazy mess, Marinette. Plus, now everyone thinks you are one of my girlfriends!"
"Oh, that's terrible, yeah." Marinette played off. "I mean no! I mean it's not that terrible, really. Is it? Or...not? Wait! Girlfriends? As in plural? Forget it! Anyway, do you think it's gonna be okay between you and your father?"
"How can anything go bad with my Marinette lucky charm?" Adrien asks, holding up the small charm she had given him all that time ago. Adrien didn't think Marinette would ever fully understand just how much her friendship meant to him. He didn't have many. Sure there was Chloe, Nino, and of course Lucy. But his schedule kept him from getting all that close with a majority of his classmates. He counted them as friends because he wanted them to be, but Marinette was one of the few he felt had begun to really earn that title. They didn't hang out too much, but she was always there for him when he needed her. Even when she didn't realize it was him. Marinette looked at the charm in awe still perplexed that he had held on to it. It almost made her sad that she did not have the one he had made for her on hand. How could she not love this boy? Lucy watched the interaction with a soft smile. She didn't really know what Adrien's true feelings were for Marinette but it was clear that all in all she was someone who mattered to him in one way or another. She only hoped that in the long run that might be enough for Marinette.
The train took off and across the platform, a woman noticed Adrien and shouted his name. Seconds later, numerous phone cameras were flashing at them. Adrien quickly took both girls by the hand and went to flee the metro only for his bodyguard to be at the exit. Turning around to go for the other exit, the teens were met with a fan mob. It almost felt like everything was happening in slow-motion. The crowd closing on one end and the bodyguard on the other. Lucy looked to the open train doors and without a moment to lose shoved Adrien into Marinette as hard as she could, knocking both teens into the train car. Adrien quickly stood as the door shut with Lucy on the other side of them. She gave him a wink before the window was ambushed with random faces. The train took off and Adrien sighed, taking a seat in one of the many open spots. He ran his hand through his hair and Marinette got up from the floor and sat beside him. She frowned at the dispirited look on Adrien's face.
"I'm sorry your date got ruined," Marinette said shyly. Although she meant what she said, the word date still left a bitter taste in her mouth.
"Oh! Uh, no." Adrien responded with a soft smile. "We weren't on a date..." He admitted and Marinette almost felt guilty for how happy she was that he had. "Her mom was actually going to come with us but she ended up confronting my dad and... Now everyone thinks you both are my girlfriends? Or something? People are so quick to jump to conclusions. I hope she got out of the metro before the crowd noticed her."
Marinette wanted to touch him. To rest her hand on his body somewhere...maybe his knee? The temptation was there but she refrained. What if it was unwanted? Some people don't like being touched. Adrien had never given off the impression that he was against contact with people. She had seen Nino's arm wrap around his shoulders a number of times. Seen Lucy and ugh, Chloe give him hugs on a handful of occasions. But maybe he was always just being polite. Maybe that stuff actually made him a little uncomfortable but he was too nice to say anything! The last thing Marinette wanted to do was make Adrien uncomfortable. She knew she was overthinking it. She could feel it. But the overthinking won and Marinette kept her hands to herself.
"Where were you guys going? If you don't mind me asking."
"The movies."
"Your dad doesn't let you go to the movies?"
Adrien chuckled. "Of course he does. With my bodyguard or Natalie of course. But I'm not sure my father would've allowed me to see this particular movie."
Marinette momentarily panicked. "Oh no! Please don't tell me it's a horror movie! I hate horror movies! I won't be able to stay with you if it is!"
"No, no. Don't worry." Adrien reassured her. "It's a very rare movie that I've never been able to see. It's not on the Internet and my father's hidden the only DVD somewhere at home. See, my mother played the leading role."
"Wow, I had no idea," Marinette told him and that was true. Most of the time, Marinette felt she knew everything there was to know about Adrien. She knew how crazy that made her look but she couldn't help it. It was in moments like these, that she realized that most of what she knew about Adrien, only skimmed the surface of who he was. She only hoped that one day she would be able to go deeper, but the only real way to do that would be to hang around Adrien more often. That was where her trouble lay.
"Not many people do," Adrien informed her. His father made sure of that. "I had been venting to Lucy about it and her mother happened to hear. She wanted to act as a chaperone and just say we were going to see a regular old movie but it didn't work out that way." He explained.
Her mom ended up storming into my dad's office and well, my and Lucy bolted. It's only being shown once. Today, in the theater we are heading towards. I couldn't talk to my father about it, so I took Lucy's mother distracting him to sneak out unnoticed."
"Well, I wouldn't say unnoticed." Marinette teased.
Adrien laughed at his own failure. "Oh well. At least I'll get to see it. My mother is a tough subject for my dad. We don't talk about her much." His smile faltered making Marinette look down and fidget her fingers next to him. Sometimes thinking about his mother made Adrien angry. He didn't get to grow up and pull away from her and bitch about her to his friends and confront her about the things he'd wished she'd done differently and then get older and understand that she had done the best she could and realize that what she had done was pretty damn good and take her fully back into his arms again. Her disappearance had obliterated that. It had obliterated him. It had cut Adrien short at the very height of his youthful arrogance. It had forced him to instantly grow up and forgive her every motherly fault at the same time that it kept him forever a child, his life both ended and begun in that premature place where they'd left off. She was his mother but he was motherless. He was trapped by her, but utterly alone. She would always be the empty bowl that no one could full. He'd have to fill it himself again and again and again.
OoOOoOoOoOO
Lucy stood at the entrance of the theater and waited for Adrien and Marinette to show up. Escaping the crowd when they had been distracted was easy enough. And as it turned out, when you don't have a famous model standing right next to you, most people don't give you a second glance. The train would take them a bit out of the way so Lucy wasn't surprised that she was able to get there before them. She waited a solid ten minutes before her two friends came running down the sidewalk in her direction. She pulled out her phone and pointed to the time.
"Just made it, and what is with the getup?" She asked taking note of the towel on Marinette's head as well as the goggles and the grey helmet on Adrien's head.
"Disguises! It was Marinette's idea!" Adrien explained earning a blush from Marinette. Lucy sucked in her lips and tried to hold in her laugh.
"Disguises...right. Totally inconspicuous. Nothing at all out of the ordinary or attention-grabbing here. I'd lose you in a crowd."
Adrien nudged Lucy with his elbow as she strolled inside. "People can notice us so long as they can't tell who we are. You might want to consider one too."
"You know, I think I'm good," Lucy remarked as the teens paid for their tickets and made their way to the showroom. Adrien leads the way to their seats with Lucy and Marinette close behind. Before entering the isle, Lucy paused and moved back to let Marinette pass first. The awkwardly dressed girl gave her a small look of confusion before Lucy rolled her eyes playfully and nodded in a sitting Adrien's direction. Marinette looked at her with a silent thank you before moving ahead and taking a seat beside Adrien. Lucy leaned in toward Marinette and overlooked her once more.
"So, why exactly were you out in your pajamas while supplied with swim gear?"
Marinette sighed. "I was supposed to meet Alya and the girls at the pool...hey didn't she invite you too?"
"Um-hm. I told her I was busy today, as you can see." Lucy answered with a nod.
"Right, well, I got distracted and as usual ended up running late."
Lucy raises an eyebrow. "Distracted by what?"
"Radiant. Carefree. Dreamy. Adrien... the fragrance." The ad played and Marinette couldn't help but follow along with the words grabbing Adrien's attention and earning a small chuckle from him. Marinette blushed again and Lucy shook her head while patting Marinette's arm.
"Mari that commercial is like 10 seconds long."
"Not when it's on a loop on the computer," Mari whispered.
Lucy snorted and covered her mouth to muffle her laugh. "I'm so tired of you." Marinette smiled and gave Lucy a small shove.
Adrien wasn't sure what the two girls were whispering about but seeing the smiles on their faces made him want to join in on the fun. However, the screen went to black, and then the movie began to play. The girls quickly silenced their giggles and brought their attention to the screen. The movie was a black and white film and Lucy couldn't help but take notice of the name A. Bourgeois for the production. She supposed it wasn't that odd. The two families were friends after all. Adrien watched in awe at the sight of his mother on the big screen. Her face had yet to be seen yet from behind the large umbrella she was carrying but that didn't matter. It had been so long since he had seen her alive and in motion. Adrien removed his helmet to better his view and if was instantly a mistake. A man a few seats away automatically noticed him and snapped a photo and it was only moments later that Adrien's fan club showed up and swarmed them. A crash from the ceiling grabbed everyone's attention as a large hand reached down and scooped up Adrien.
"Are you alright?" Lucy asked Marinette as they crouched in between seat isles. Marinette gave her a nod.
"We should get out of here."
Lucy stood first as her phone started ringing. Looking at the screen she saw her mother calling her, probably seeing where she was and knowing about the giant Gorilla. As she makes her way out of the theater to assure her mother she is okay, Marinette stays behind to become Ladybug.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Adrien couldn't help but apologies to Ladybug as Gorizilla trapped her in his grasp. Of course, Ladybug was clever and used her lucky charm, a toy helicopter, to crash into the oversized monkey, causing him to drop her. With a quick tie of her yo-yo, Ladybug maneuvered so that his other hand would open and release Adrien. Unfortunately, the only way to go was down and directly off the building.
"You just have to trust me." She said and Adrien knew that he did without a doubt. So he jumped. Ladybug raced after him only to be grabbed by Gorizilla causing her to panic. She didn't know what she would do if Adrien actually fell to his death while believing that she would save him. Suddenly, she was released from the Akuma's grasp and quickly went to save Adrien.
"Eye of the Tiger!" A voice shouted and in a blink Ladybug and Adrien were both safely on the ground.
"Tigress!" Ladybug said in relief.
"I mean, I've heard that skydiving without a parachute is a once in a lifetime experience but come one man." Tigress teased. Ladybug's earring beeped grabbing Adrien and Tigress's attention.
"Your earrings are flashing. Is there a problem?" Adrien asked
"It means it won't be long before I transform back. But don't worry. Cat Noir will be here soon to take care of things."
"Hmm.." Tigress hummed, tapping her finger on her chin. "I wonder where that pesky kitty could be?"
Gorizilla jumped down from the building, ready to finish his mission. Wayhem moved in front of the heroes and Adrien, extending his arms.
"You can get out of here you guys! I'll hold him off!"
Tigress raised an eyebrow but before she could spit out a witty response Ladybug told the teen to get to safety, taking the helmet that Adrien had dropped off of his head and back on to Adrien. Tigress, Ladybug, and Adrien leaped away unaware Wayhem would stay behind and spray Gorizilla in the face "Adrien" the fragrance, enabling his ability to track them down. Several blocks away the three land on a roof where Adrien attempts to get the two heroes to leave him behind in order for him to change into Chat Noir. Of course, Ladybug had no interest in leaving the blonde boy to fend for himself, even if the villain didn't actually intend to hurt him. Noticing a subway entrance Ladybug came up with a plan to lure the Akuma over the subway and have Chat use his cataclysm to drop him in. Adrien agreed to be the bait and Ladybug attempted to call Chat Noir once more, needing his abilities for the plan to work.
"What if Chat Noir doesn't show up?" Adrien asked.
"He will. I trust him." Ladybug told him honestly. Chat Noir may not be answering her calls now, but she was sure he would come through for the team as he always did. Adrien smiled, happy to know Ladybug had faith in him.
OoOoOoOoOo
Lucy sat with her mother and Natalie at Adrien's home as the news played. After leaving the theater, Lucy went back to the Agreste mansion where her mother was. She had been worried about Adrien but had faith that Ladybug and Chat Noir would have him back to safety in no time. As it was, Lucy had no special powers and had no way to help Adrien anyway. All she could do was wait with the other adults for his safe return.
"Here we see Chat Noir getting between Adrien Agreste and Gorizilla! Leading him away and into Ladybug and Chat Noirs trap!"
There it was. Chat Noir and Adrien at the same time. There were times when Lucy had thought that maybe Chat and Adrien could be the same person. Usually, when she put too much thought into it, her mind got fuzzy and she would forget why she had been thinking that in the first place. Now, she supposes, she didn't have to think about it. All the weird coincidences were just that, coincidences. Relief flooded her body over that for a number of reasons. Her relationship with Chat Noir was complicated enough, adding Adrien into that mix would only add fuel to the fire. When Adrien walked through the doors of his house Lucy rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He was taken back for a moment but quickly returned the hug as Lucy told him she was glad he was okay. She pulled away from him and then smacked him upside the head.
"Ow! Hey! What was that for!" Adrien shouted holding the top of his head.
"What were you thinking just jumping off a building like that! What if Tigress hadn't shown up?! Or Ladybug didn't get free!?" Lucy explained. "Adrien..." She said, her voice growing softer. "You could have died."
Adrien's eyes softened and he let out a sigh before giving her a small smile. "I'm sorry I worried you, but I believe in the heroes of Paris, and know Ladybug would never have had me jump without a plan."
"Except Gorizilla grabbed her as she was going after you, Adrien. I'm glad it all worked out...you seem to have a lot of luck that way but if-"
"I know, Lucy. I know." It was true of course. Adrien was well aware of what his fate could have been, but it all worked out, so he couldn't find it in him to dwell on what could have been. Lucy's mom approached them and also gave the teen boy a hug, telling him she was happy he was alright.
"You gave us a bit of a fright there, hun." She told him.
"Your father has been worried sick Adrien," Natalie added, standing uniformly behind Lucy and her mother. As if on queue, Gabriel appeared, peering down at Adrien in the way that always made him feel so small.
"Tell our guests goodbye, Adrien. " His father spoke calmly. Adrien did as he was told and Lucy and her mother made her way for the door. Monica turned her head over her shoulder and made eye contact with Gabriel as Natalie escorted Adrien to his room. Talk to him. She mouthed, before walking out the door with her daughter. Parents rarely let go of their children, so children let go of them. They move on. They move away. The moments that used to define them - a mother's approval, a father's nod - are covered by moments of their own accomplishments. It is not until much later, as the skin sags and the heart weakens, that children understand; their stories, and all their accomplishments, sit atop the stories of their mothers and fathers, stones upon stones, beneath the waters of their lives. All parents damage their children. It cannot be helped. Youth, like pristine glass, absorbs the prints of its handlers. Some parents smudge, others crack, a few shatter childhoods completely into jagged little pieces, beyond repair. The damage done by Adrien's father was, in the beginning, the damage of neglect...
All parents damage their children. This was their life together. Neglect. Violence. Silence. And now, in his room, Adrien slumped against his couch, stung again by the denial of a man whose love, almost inexplicably, he still coveted. Damage done. Gabriel entered his son's room silently, a single DVD in hand. He placed it into the player and took a seat beside Adrien who looked at him confused.
"All you had to do was ask me."
"I'm sorry, Father. I tried to talk to you, but you were so busy. In fact, I always feel like you don't want to talk at all, so—"
"You should've trusted me, son. It's important for you and I to be able to trust each other. If you were to begin hiding the truth from me, then I'd naturally start imagining all kinds of things." He placed his hand on Adrien's, looking down at the ring on his finger. For a moment he truly thought his son might have been Chat Noir. If he had been, then maybe his mission would be easier. He could tell his son what he wished to do. Gabriel knew how much Adrien missed his mother. He wanted nothing more than to bring her back to them both. Unfortunately, the ring they both poses were not the same. Never the less. He would succeed. One way or another.
"Right," Adrien spoke. "Thank you, father."
The screen turned on and the movie played. Adrien happily watched his mother on the screen beside his father, blissfully unaware, somewhere deep beneath his feet, the real thing lay in a comatose state.
Here is chapter 30! Gosh this is a long book so far. I love all the feedback you guys have been giving me and I can only hope I will continue to hear from you! This chapter ended up much longer than I expected it to be/ Longer than most actually at around 7500 words! Anyway! I hope you guys like this chapter and as always, I will see you in the next one!
