A/N: I apologize for the long delay in posting. Writers block sucks!

What the hell? Nathalie thought as she stared at the door her boss had closed behind him. That was definitely … unexpected. Sure, she and Nooroo both had warned Gabriel that he was in danger of losing his son, but wow. That cheek kiss had been something else entirely.

No time to deal with it now, she thought as she went back into full "personal assistant" mode and ran the company as per her normal routine. She may appear unflappable, but between the kiss and thinking of ways for Gabriel and Adrien to reconnect, her day was … unusual.

For his part, Gabriel was exhausted - physically and emotionally. He knew he had to make things right with his son. With Paris. With his Kwami…

"Nooroo."

"Yes, Master."

"This is … difficult for me to say, but… I am sorry for what I have put you through." He took a deep breath. "I am not ready to give you up yet, but I do renounce the dark Hawkmoth persona."

"Nooroo, I release you from all commands I have ever given you, except for the normal ones expected between a holder and a Kwami."

Nooroo was only a little surprised, as he had felt Gabriel's emotions that led up to this point. Still, he figured he needed to test it out.

"Gabriel," the purple Kwami said. "Thank you for releasing me. I know it has been hard for you ever since Emilie fell into her coma."

"I'd say you have no idea how hard, but I have a feeling that you do. As a first step, or the first step after releasing you from those commands, let me get you something to eat. I'm sure you're exhausted as well."

"Dried fruit?" the Kwami asked hopefully.

"Absolutely." So Gabriel Agreste, formerly Hawkmoth, ordered a large plate of fresh and dried fruit from the kitchens. The two beings, holder and Kwami, ate in silence for a while before Gabriel was able to settle down.

"Nooroo, can I ask for advice?"

Nooroo smiled. This was a huge step for his holder. "About what?"

"Well, I want to prove to Ladybug and Chat Noir that I'm serious in giving up the Hawkmoth persona. The problem is that I don't know how to go about it while preserving my identity. I don't want Adrien to have to live through the PR nightmare going public would mean."

"Plus you told Nathalie that you need to reconnect with Adrien."

"Exactly. He's no longer the little boy I need to protect. Somehow, he's grown up without me noticing."

"I think we both know why that is," Nooroo chastised gently. Gabriel had the good grace to look sheepish. "Let's go over some options, then."

"Okay. One, I could tell Adrien my identity as Hawkmoth and say I'm giving up the persona. That could backfire horribly because I'm viewed by Paris as a villain."

"To be completely honest, Gabriel, using my power for evil is something a villain would do."

"God this is going to be hard." He paused a moment. "Okay, option two. We create a champion to find the heroes and propose a meeting where I give you up. Once again, we're faced with exposing my identity. Plus they wouldn't believe me."

"They might if you give them the Peacock miraculous up front."

"That's an idea. I have a question about that though. My akumas don't remember their time from when they are akumatized. If we are using your power normally, would the champion still forget?"

"No, because they must agree first."

"But don't my Akumas agree when I give them the supervillain powers?"

"Not exactly. You are persuading them, but also forcing them to live in some of their worst moments. The human mind represses those akumatized memories because for the most part they are traumatizing."

"Then that is another thing to consider." Gabriel grabbed another bite of apple. "Oh, merde, I'm going to have to set up a mental health foundation or something."

Nooroo chuckled. "That… might be a good idea. I'm sure there are a lot of people in Paris who need counseling."

"Let's set that aside for now. Option two modification, sending out a sentimonster instead of a champion. Have the sentimonster take your miraculous with them as proof that I'm serious."

"That could work, and we won't be traumatizing anyone. Plus we could make it look like one of the heroes, so they would be sure to come out."

"Okay, let's think about those options."

"I have one more to consider, now that you've released my bonds." Nooroo was a little nervous at suggesting this one. "I could go out and try to find my Kwami brothers and sisters. I haven't seen them for so long, Gabriel. And they tried so hard to reach me on my last cycle."

"I've grown accustomed to your presence, Nooroo. How long would you be gone?"

"Say no more than 24 hours at a time?"

Gabriel thought, and thought, and thought some more. He was used to … well, commanding Nooroo. As much as he appreciated not being alone, he thought about everything he had done in the past three years as the most wanted magical terrorist in France. Looking into the gentle eyes of the powerful being he had enslaved for the past few years, and suddenly remembering that he was an immensely old being with thoughts and feelings of his own, his heart broke again.

"I am not sure I could get used to your absence so quickly," Gabriel admitted as he swallowed another grape. "How about we say twelve hours at a time instead, not including while I sleep. You know my habits and that should give you an additional seven hours or so. Just let me know when you leave. Please."

Nooroo couldn't help but fly around the room at the joyous thought of seeing his fellow Kwami again. "Agreed."

"Thank you for the advice," Gabriel was saying when a yawn suddenly overtook him. "Looks like my body decided I need to go to sleep now," he said as he set the tray on the bedside table and stretched out. "Good night, Nooroo."

"Good night… Gabriel. I can feel how exhausted you are. Go to sleep."

And sleep he did. He hadn't slept like this since long before Emilie had fallen into her coma. Nooroo was also able to fully relax for the first time in over three years.

Adrien and Marinette were cuddling. It had been a long and tiring time over the past few days, and they were exhausted. While they rested, Tikki and Plagg were off in a corner, discussing details of what had come to be known as the "DaVinci Plan".

"I still think we need to make it somewhat simple, Sugarcube. You know how blind humans are."

"We can't make it too simple, though. Because if they don't know our holders' identities, we need to keep it that way."

"How about this. The first clue is us, but the second clue is the best friend? It even works out because the best friends' names are the same number of letters."

Tikki nuzzled her counterpart affectionately. "Stinky Sock, you do have some great ideas once in a century." The two Kwamis went over to their holders and cleared their throats to get the humans' attention.

"We're just about ready to put the DaVinci Plan into action, but we need your help," Tikki said without preamble.

"What do you need."

"Well, have you heard of a cryptex?"