Hello again!
Lucy knocked on the dressing room door that Adrien said he would be inside of. He had invited her to his father's big fashion show, something Lucy had never done before, never really understanding some of the crazy things she saw in magazines. Her main motivation was that this would be the fashion show that Adrien would be modeling Marinette's derby that she had made almost a year prior. Adrien opened the door and smiled down at Lucy before greeting her and inviting her inside the trailer.
"Well don't you look dapper?" Lucy comments as she looked Adrien up and down. He wore a brown and black three-piece suit and tie. She straightened his tie before adjusting his jacket, smoothing out the tops of his shoulders with her hands, the material soft against her fingers. She gives him a small smile.
"I feel awkward." He admits as he had with Plagg only a few moments before she knocked. Lucy raised an eyebrow at him.
"Awkward? Why? You've done this before yeah?"
Adrien sighs and looks back into the mirror, fidgeting with his jacket.
"Yeah, a ton of times. I don't know, sometimes the stuff my dad designed, though great, just aren't really...me I guess."
Lucy shrugged and nodded her head, understanding. "I get it. But hey! You don't have to go around telling everyone how much you love your outfit, you just gotta show it off." Lucy turns and sits on the small black love seat tucked in the far end of the trailer, leaning back and resting her arms above the backrest and crossing her legs. "Also, You're not only showing off your dad's designs but one of Marinette's as well. Speaking of which, where is that girl? It's already- you know what, it's Marinette, when is she ever on time?"
A knock at the door grabbed the two teens' attention and Adrien opened the door to let the girl in question inside. The clumsy girl trips up the stairs, falling into the tall boy, dropping her hat to the floor, the pigeon feather falling off of it. Lucy watched with an amused expression as the two smacked heads trying to pick up the hat.
"Oh no," Adrien said, noticing the feather. "I hope it's not too hard to fix."
"Nothin a little super glue won't fix." Lucy joked, earning a sided-eyed look from Adrien. The blonde girl simply gave him a toothy grin and a wink.
"Hey, Lucy." Marinette greeted politely before frowning a little at the hat.
"I was just joking Mari, it really isn't a hard fix, is it?"
"It doesn't matter," Marinette grumbled. "This hat is a failure anyway."
"What? No, it isn't." Adrien told Marinette as he helped her off the ground. "Why would you say that?"
"Because…" Marinette began, fiddling with the feather in her hands. "the queen of fashion, Audrey Bourgeois saw it and hated it. I'm sorry, Adrien. I really messed up. I'm a total no-talent. Please don't put it on." Lucy got up from the couch and walked over to her friends, placing a hand on Marinette's shoulder. "Marinette, you can't doubt yourself like that. Even if Audrey did hate it, and I'm sure she doesn't, it wouldn't matter. There is always criticism in art. You can't always please everyone."
"Everything's gonna be fine. Your hat looks great; I think it's awesome; so does my father. Otherwise, he wouldn't have picked it for me." Adrien told her, taking the feather out of her hand and sticking it back into the hat before placing it on his head and strutting his stuff.
"You've got that cat-walk down." Marinette compliments as Lucy nods and makes Vouge motions with her hands. Adrien scratched the back of his head and thanks her before Nathalie announces that it is time for them to go. Adrien followed Nathalie and Lucy and Marinette made their way to the main hall to find their seats in the crowd. Marinette still hadn't found the courage to talk to Lucy about her possible feelings for Adrien. Luckily, Adrien had not asked her for any advice since that day at the rink. Lucy and Adrien's interactions with one another also had not seemed to change, so Marinette had concluded that he had not made any progress in confessing his feelings. For now, she would leave it. After all, perhaps it was easier to smile and pretend everything was fine rather than admit her heart was a little swollen from losing something that wasn't even hers.
OoOoOoOo
Monica was waved in by Alya, a girl whom Lucy had introduced her to some time ago. Her eyes scanned the group sitting in the fashion show's front row and smiled to see more adults.
"Hey! Tom, right? We met at career day!" Tom smiled and nodded at Monica.
"Hello again! Monica if I remember correctly. This is my wife Sabine. Marinette's mother."
Monica reached out her hand to the small Asian woman and shook her hand with a smile.
"A pleasure to finally be properly introduced."
Sabine giggled. "I've been wanting to meet you since Tom told me about your little stand-off with the mayor." Monica waved at her dismissively.
"That was nothing, and he had it coming to him. Our mayor seems to forget how the law works sometimes. That's politics I guess though."
A woman then strutted over. She wore a black and white jumper-type outfit with gold heels. A large black and gold sun hat as well as a pair of large sunglasses.
"How dilapidated is this place? And I have to share the front row with this group of low-lives? Ridiculous." She said sitting between Monica and Sabine. "Utterly ridiculous.
"Uh, sorry, but that seat is reserved for Marinette." Alya tried to explain only for Monica to sush her.
"Alya, can't you see this poor woman is blind!" She then said waving her hand in front of her face. The woman scoffed and slapped Monica's hand away.
"I'm not blind you dimwit!"
"Ohhhh! My bad," Monica then said. "I was confused because you're wearing sunglasses indoors. Hunny, it's okay if you have a lazy eye, it's totally normal."
Audrey glared at Monica through her glasses.
"Let me handle this, mother. Hey losers, do you know who my mother is? She's Miss Style Queen: the most powerful woman in the world of fashion. This show is for her, okay? So, get lost!"
Nathalie then came over with her usual passive expression as Marinette and Lucy trailed behind her.
"Mrs. Bourgeois. Mr. Agreste has reserved a seat for you."
"Finally," Audrey said standing.
"In the second row."
"What?!"
"My mother always sits in the front row!" Chloe explained, but Nathaile, unimpressed with either of them held her ground.
"Not today."
"This is unacceptable! Gabriel cannot do this to me! I'm the one who discovered him. Without me, he'd still be drawing his unworthy designs in his dismal, grim studio!"
"I can offer your seat to someone else if you don't want it," Nathalie tells her, making Adfrey even angrier.
"How dare you! You're fired."
"I don't work for you, I work for Mr. Agreste."
"We'll see about that!" Audrey then pulls out her phone in an attempt to call Gabriel, who unknowingly to her, purposefully ignored her call.
"I assume from your expression that I'm not fired.
"This is unacceptable! I will not view a fashion show from the second row, ever!" Audrey growls before storming away, her daughter and husband trailing behind her.
"You're a boss bitch Nathalie," Lucy said grinning up at the older woman who gave her a small smirk as she showed the open seat to Marinette and Lucy.
The fashion show started and it didn't take long before Adrien began to strut down the catwalk, Marinette's hat sitting gracefully on his head as he did so. Lucy gave him a thumbs-up as he sent a smile their way but in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder when- Ah, yes, the Akuma. Style Queen had made her appearance, demanding Gabriel Agreste come out and kneel before her. She was made entirely of gold glitter, her outfit leotard-like with what Lucy assumed was a crown-like feature sprouting from her hair. Adrien glared up at the woman.
"My father isn't here." He never was.
"Well then. If fashion-disaster daddy isn't here, I'll just have to settle for Agreste Junior! You're fired!" She shouted, shooting her glitter blast at Adrien, turning him into a golden statue, his body, and expression frozen in a panicked stance.
"Adrien!" Marinette and Lucy shouted as everyone began to scream and run out of the building.
"We need to go!" Monica shouted, grabbing her daughter's hand and bolting through the crowd. In it, they rand into Andre and Chloe who watched Audrey in fear. "Hey, you two! time to move!" Neither of them had time to accept or decline the offer as Style Queen appeared in front of them.
"Audrey, dear! Darling, sweetheart, please stop this madness." Andre tried to reason, but of course, she would have none of it and quickly turned him into a golden statue.
"Mom..."
"Claudine— uh, Chloe. I'm 'not' mom, I am Style Queen. Do you want to be fired, too?" She asked pointing her staff at Chloe. Monica stood in front of the blue-eyed girl while also pushing Lucy behind her.
"That is your daughter you are threatening!" Chloe looked at Lucy who had taken hold of her shoulders. It still always surprised Chloe how quickly Lucy stood beside her when she was in danger. Lucy did not have any powers, neither did her mother, yet here they both were standing to defend Chloe. No one else was.
"You again," Style Queen said in distaste as she looked over Monica. "Are you really so thick-skulled to think you have any ability to stop me? You are nothing. I am vengeance."
"What you are is empty. Vengeance? Being an Avenger is stupid. They wait for shitting things to happen to do something about it. I'm a defender. Even when it's pointless. You will never be on my level, which in case you didn't know, is beneath me." Style queen growled at Monica, calling her a fool before shooting her glitter blast at her. She walked around the statues to see Lucy holding tightly onto Chloe, a harsh glare on her face.
"Chloe..." Style Queen in a warning tone, causing Chloe to remove herself from Lucy's grasp. Lucy frowned at Chloe.
"Of course not mo- Style Queen. Besides, you need an assistant right?"
"Hmm, I did fire my last one this morning..."
'"And I bet she was useless, utterly useless."
"Seriously?" Lucy said, shaking her head at Chloe who gave her a sideways glance.
"It's called self-preservation. You should try it sometime."
"Self-preservation isn't worth it if you can't live with the self you're preserving," Lucy said crossing her arms.
"Blah, blah, blah!" Style Queen mocked. "You're full of just as much sentimental delusion as this one," She said pointing at Monica. Style smirked as she looked between the two girls. "Well, like mother, like daughter I suppose." She then pointed her staff at Lucy, blasting her with her glitter, and looked to Chloe who held her hands up defensively.
"I'll take you on trial. Let's see how far this apple fell from its tree."
"Style Queen!" Ladybug shouted from above, gaining the villain's attention.
"What an atrocious suit. That bug looks so last year." Style Queen mocked.
"But the yo-yo makes a strong comeback this year." Ladybug countered, throwing her yo-yo towards Style Queen, only for it to go right through her body.
"You're a couple of sizes too small to beat me, Ladybug." She aims her staff shooting out a beam of gold, Ladybug tries to block it, but the recoil is too much, and falls backward. Style Queen laughs and holds her glowing staff out towards Ladybug's face. Self-preservation isn't worth it if you can't live with the self you're preserving. Chloe steps out and calls out to her mother, stopping her from blasting Ladybug.
"Mom! Uh— Style Queen! If you want to find Gabriel Agreste, I know where he lives. You can take care of Ladybug later, she's worthless anyway." Ladybug slips away, and Style Queen weighs her options.
"Hmm... It's not a completely idiotic idea." She then slams her staff to the ground and statued Adrien is absorbed into it before she grabs Chloe and flys off toward Gabriel's home.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
It was safe to say that after the whole ordeal, the fashion show rescheduled for the next day, giving people time to recuperate from the events that took place the day prior. Gabriel Agreste gazed solemnly upon his resting wife in the underground garden he kept her in. She laid in her sleep chamber looking the same as the day he last saw her awake. Many years ago, Gabriel came across the butterfly and Peacock miraculous while overseas for work. He was instantly drawn to the jewels and mesmerized by their design. He had truly never seen anything quite like them. Unaware of the power they passed, Gabriel brought them home, gifting one to his beloved wife. When their kwami's presented themselves and the couple discovered the truth behind the jewels they had relished in the wonderful world they could help create with them. After all, when used correctly, both miraculous, like the others were created to protect the world from evil, not add to it. They didn't know that the peacock miraculous was damaged and that its use would make Emilie sick. Before they knew what was happening it was too late. Gabriel promised his wife that he would cure her. That she would see their son again. He would do it at any price but...
"I don't want to break our promise, but… I can't keep putting our son in danger. Style Queen was supposed to be my masterpiece… but even she failed. I feel like I've done all I possibly could, you know? I'll never be able to fulfill my wish without Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous. Forgive me, Emilie." As it turned out, the one price Gabriel was not willing to pay for Emilie's life, was their sons. He had more than one close call when it had come to Adrien's safety, and although he believed that in every situation he would be fine, Gabriel didn't want to keep testing chance. Not with Adrien. "I'm giving you up Nooroo." He told his Kwami, who although did not agree with his master's methods, could not help but pity him. The death of something living is the price of a human's own survival, and they pay it again and again. They have no choice. It is the one solemn promise every life on earth is born and bound to keep. Gabriel removed his miraculous and placed it inside its box. When he returned to ground level, Nathalie was waiting for him. He slumped down in his chair and his faithful assistant hugged him from behind. Nathalie had been his assistant long before his wife falling and had been the only one he had entrusted with his secret. Nathalie's heart broke for both the Agreste men when Emilie had gone into her comatose state and vowed to help Gabriel in any way he needed. The Agreste's may-be the people who employed her, but over the years they had become so much more than that. They were her family, and she would not let Gabriel go through it all alone.
OoOoOoOooo
To say people were shocked when Gabriel Agreste made his way down the catwalk and embarrassed his son would be an understatement. The man almost never left his home and had not been seen in public since his wife's dissaperance. Noone, however, was as taken back as Adrien. As his father took him into his arms, the boy almost thought her was imagining the whole thing but was quick to return the embrace. Adrien didn't know if his father had shown up because he had been worried about his own wellbeing or simply for a shock factor but the younger Agreste didn't care. His father was here, out in the open, and that meant everything. After the show, Lucy, Marinette, and their parents wandered over to Adrien and his father who was in conversation with Chloe's mother. When Audrey pointed out that the hat Adrien was wearing was not one of Gabriel's creations Marinette was pushed forward to take claim of it.
" It's the most exceptional thing I've ever seen! You're a visionary, Marinette! Glitter's had its day. Feathers are the trend of tomorrow!" Audrey exclaimed with joy. "I haven't felt this much emotion since… you." She said turning to Gabriel. Monica frowned at the diva's words as she glanced down at Chloe whose face looked sour. Audrey and Gabriel complimented Marinette's skill and Audrey then offered Marinette the chance to travel with her to New York under her wing to become the fashion icon she was destined to be. Marinette's parents proudly told Marinette that they would support her no matter what she decided and Audrey continued to let Marinette know that her Helicopter would be leaving at 8 p.m sharp, giving the young designer till then to make her choice.
"Isn't that great for Marinette, Chloe?" Adrien asked as Lucy's smile that she had gained from her friend's recognition fell as her eyes cast on Chloe.
" It's... It's ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!" Chloe turns to her mother, her face flush with rage. "I've never been to New York with you and you're taking Marinette Dupain-Cheng!?"
"I'm taking her because she's exceptional Claudette. Uh— Chloe."
"I'm exceptional, too!"
"The only exceptional thing about you, my dear… is your mother." Lucy shares a look with Marinette and Adrien as their parents look at Audrey with wide eyes. Andre, Chloe's father, though misguided at times was the caring parent between the two and his heart broke for his daughter at the words his wife had shot out. "Audrey, dear-" He tried to reason, bringing his hands to his daughter's shoulders, but Chloe shoved him away. "Chloé!"
"Ugh! I'll show you how exceptional I can be!" Chloe then pulled out a small box, one that her three classmates instantly recognized. Opening it a hair comb is revealed as a yellow glow emerges and Pollen, the bee miraculous Kwami appears to serve its owner. Everyone stood in shook as Chloe placed the comb in her hair and unused it to transform into Queen Bee.
"I am Chloé Bourgeois and from now on I'll be your new superhero, Queen Bee! We'll soon see if you think Dupain-Cheng is still more exceptional than moi! Spinning Top!" She shouts exiting the building, leaving the others to watch her go.
"What has happened to our beloved daughter!?" Andre questioned but Audrey was unfazed by Chloe's transformation.
"She always was such a show-off. See you tonight, Marinette. I'll meet you at my helicopter." She said, walking off, her husband trailing behind her. Sabine looked at Monica, who seemed frozen in place, staring at the spot Audrey once stood.
"Monica...are you alright dear?" Tom, Marinette, and Lucy all looked at Monica who blinked before meeting their gazes.
"I'm...sorry...I'm at a loss for words. That woman...how could she...?"
"We should go, mom," Lucy said, taking a hold of her mother's hand and pulling her along.
"It's probably not a good idea to stick around with Chloé Bourgeois thinking she's the bee's knees," Tom commented, his wife smiling gently. "I'm sure Ladybug and Cat Noir will fix everything!"
"Would you like to ride the metro with us you two?" Tom offered. "You're in the same general direction after all, right?"
Monica sighed and smiled at the couple. "Sure, that sounds lovely."
OoOoOoOoOo
On the train, Tom went on about how if Marinette took Audrey up on her offer they would all move to America and open a bakery out there. Monica smiled as Tom talked about his desire to help his daughter achieve her dreams, no matter where they took her. She still couldn't wrap her head around how Chloe's mother could be so cold with her. Monica had thought Gabriel was a distant parent, but Audrey was in a league all of her own. Marinette discreetly, (Though in all realness was not at all discreet) looked in her purse and asked Tikki her opinion on what she should do. Tikki looked at her sadly. She did not want Marinette to not be able to follow her dreams if that was what she truly wanted, but if she did so, a new Ladybug would have to be chosen. Ladybug was is the only one who can capture the Akumas, thus she could not go with Marinette if Marinette chose to leave. Conflict filled Marinette's heart as she realized what she would be giving up. The opportunity that was being given to her was rare and had she never become Ladybug, the choice would be a no-brainer. But she is Ladybug. She is and she still wants to be. Being Ladybug had become part of who she was. A part of herself that Marinette wasn't ready to give up yet.
"So, are you gonna do it?" Lucy asked, making Marinette jump slightly.
"Oh! Uh...I don't know actually...what do you think I should do?" Lucy shrugged.
"Mari, it doesn't matter what I think you should do. It's a big decision and no one can make it for you. Take a minute and think about what you really want. Not what your parents want, or Audrey, or me. What do you want? I get that it might seem hard. In the space between yes and no, there's a lifetime. It's the difference between the path you walk and the one you leave behind; it's the gap between who you thought you could be and who you really are. But in some cases, it's also the legroom for the lies you'll tell yourself in the future. When you know, you'll know."
The train suddenly jolted sending the passengers into a slight panic. Its speed picked up and Chloe or Queen Bee showed face on the screens in the train car. She told everyone not to worry and that she would save them. Both Lucy and Marinette had a sneaking suspicion that Bee had created the situation just to prove a point, and now, it seemed she might have bitten off more than she could chew. While everyone was freaking out, Marinette managed to slip away to transform into Ladybug, Chat Noir showing up only moments later. They stopped the train and everyone exited the train. Chat's eye was caught by Lucy, making his way over to her and her mother.
"Are you alright ladies?" He asked in his charming way. Lucy rolled her eyes playfully while Monica smiled down at him.
"We are just fine Chat Noir, thank you."
The two watched as the news team came up to Chat and Queen Bee stood beside him, a pleased look on her face. She went on about how great their teamwork was only for Ladybug to call out Queen Bee for attacking the train conductor, putting everyone in that situation in the first place. The Bee "hero" didn't seem to see the problem, being that everyone was safe and sound but the passengers felt differently. Chloe's mother was brought on a tablet and asked what her thoughts were on the whole situation. Audrey made no motion to stick up for her daughter or give an understanding ear. Ladybug demanded the miraculous back only for Bee to refuse. While Chat questioned Ladybug's loss of the miraculous in the first place, Chloe slipped out of the subway.
When Monica and Lucy arrived home, Monica plopped down on their living room couch in exhaustion. She looked over to her daughter who sat on the opposite end of the couch. "I still can't wrap my head around Chloe's mother. I mean...how can someone talk to their child like that? You've told me stories about Chloe in the past, and I've seen that girl in action but now it's like...how can you blame her?"
Lucy nodded. "Yeah, this was the first time I have actually met her mother myself. I knew she wasn't really around but this definitely explains a lot. Chloe is...Chloe but..."
"You know I love you right?" Monica then said. Lucy met her eyes and smiled.
"I know mom. I love you too."
"You are smart, you are beautiful, you are funny. You are more than exceptional."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know mom, I know."
"No." Monica then said. "You really don't." Monica then moved closer to her daughter, taking Lucy's face in her hands, gently rubbing her cheeks with her thumbs. "When I was younger I always had it in my head that I wanted to be able to do just one radically good thing in life. You are my radically good thing."
Lucy smiled more as her mother brought their foreheads together. She pulled away and sighed, making Monica tilt her head.
"I think I'm gonna go try and talk to Chloe. Ladybug and Chat Noir probably took back her miraculous by now. I'd bet she's probably sulking in her room."
Monica nodded. "Radically good."
OoOoOoOo
Lucy sat on Chloe's bed and waited for her to come back home. She had learned on her way over that Chloe had been akumatized again, this time as Queen Bee, turning her into Queen Wasp. Getting by her was actually pretty easy, being that all her attention, as well as the attention of her little pets, were on Ladybug and Chat. Lucy had wandered into the hotel, seeing everyone frozen in place. Chloe's mother the only one who seemed to be entirely unimpressed with being attacked by her akumatized daughter as she was when Chloe had presented herself as a hero. Lucy had looked at the taller woman, wondering if the people frozen could see and hear what was going on around them or if it was similar to blacking out.
"What happened to you?" Lucy wondered aloud. "What made you this way? Who turned you into this person?" Lucy had then left and made her way up to the top floor, helping herself into Chloe's room, sitting down to wait. When Chloe did eventually come back she jumped at the sudden sight of Lucy in her room.
"What are you doing here?" Her voice didn't hold the usual snark it did. Instead, she just sounded tired. Tired and sad.
"Thought you might like some company." Chloe scoffed before sitting down on the bed next to her, bringing her knees to her chest.
"Well, you thought wrong. I don't need your company. Or anyone else's for that matter." If there is one thing Lucy had come to learn over the years, it's that in most cases if you meet a loner, no matter what they tell you, it's not because they enjoy solitude. It's because they have tried to blend into the world before, and people continue to disappoint them.
"Chloe I know all you want is for your mom to show how much she loves you. And I know that you know now, that taking and abusing the power of a miraculous is not the way to do that. So I'm not gonna scold you for it. You did something reckless for the attention of someone you love. You made a mistake."
"Mistakes aren't acceptable. My mother only wants the best and I-"
"Am human." Lucy finished. "Chloe you are...a garbage person sometimes."
Chloe gapped at her. "Excuse me?! I thought you were here to try and make me feel better! FYI you are doing a terrible job."
"I am here to make you feel better but I'm not going to lie to you to do that." Lucy clarified. "You have a lot of growing up to do Chloe. You are mean and selfish."
"Okay, you've said enough. Get out."
"But-" Lucy continued. "I have seen you take the steps to do better. To be better. Your mother might not see it right now. But in time, if you really try, I think you will be more than exceptional Chloe." Before Chloe could respond a knock game at the door. She glared at it from her bed. "Go away!"
"That was the plan, but no."
Chloe walked over to the door and opened it to find Marinette on the other side.
"Dupain-Cheng⁈"
Lucy smiled and waved at Marinette who seemed surprised to see her as well.
"Well, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were here with the means to help."
OoOoOoOo
Lucy followed Marinette, Chloe close behind them, her belongings being carried by her butler, Marinette addressed Audrey, telling the woman that she was going to stay in Paris. Audrey of course told Marinette she was making a mistake but Marinette had a point to prove and revealed Chloe who looked nervous to say the least.
"Mom...why don't you love me?" It was a painful question for Lucy to hear. She wondered if Chloe had been raised differently, by a mother who wasn't so cold to everyone, how Chloe would have turned out. Spoiled? Sure. But would she be the spitful girl everyone had come to know? After all, who would Lucy or even Marinette be, without the love and support they had from their families? The lack of such a thing can alter a person entirely.
"But… Uh— Of course I l-l-love you." The words seemed to be hard for the older woman to say, but Lucy wasn't sure it was due to a lack of truth more so as a lack of general ability to express one's self.
"You're also wrong about your daughter not being exceptional," Marinette added. "In fact, Chloé is exceptionally mean. She's the worst person I've ever met. She may be more heinous, pompous, and selfish than you. Compared to both of you, even a rock seems more capable of love."
Lucy blinked rapidly before looking at Marinette. "Whoaa." Audrey and Chloe glare at Marinette
"How dare you?!" The shout in sink, somehow surprising one another.
"See? You're both much more alike than you think." Marinette links her arms with Lucy, pulling her away as the mother a daughter talk.. Lucy looks over her shoulder to see Chloe pulled into an embrace by her mother and then brings her attention head of her with a bewildered look on her face.
"You and I were going such different directions with our pep talks." Lucy stated. Marinette raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean? I just pointed out how alike they were so that Chloe's mother would accept her! Look at them, it worked great!"
"Uh, yeah, yeah it did. You convinced the two that their common desire to make the world revolve around them is something to bond over. Congratulations, now you have Chloe, still mean and selfish, thinking the best way to continue to gain her mother affection is to be just like her, and her mom, who will now use her pushover husband to power play and ensure that Chloe continues to get her way in every possible way because they have now bonded and she's staying in Paris. For now at least."
Marinette slowed her walk as she took in Lucy's words.
"I mean, I was going more for a you-don't-need-you're-shitty-mom-to-tell-you-the-kind-of-person-your-capable-of-being, kind of angle in hopes that she, I don't know, might grow from this experience but hey, Chloe's got a mom now, their hugging. That's nice."
Marinette stopped walking as the gears in her brain spun. "But I was...she...her mom..." Lucy pulled her along while shaking her head.
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions Marinette. You made that bed, then you set it on fire. All you can do now is try not to breathe in the smoke."
Happy mothers day everyone! Remember to like and comment and tell me what you think!