Author's Note: Hey everyone! SnivyLord here! Well more than half a year later, this chapter is FINALLY DONE! I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter to my story "The Truth and What Remains" and after months of just making dents at this chapter, I finally finished it in one big push! Marinette, Louis, Hugo, and Emma finally get their happy ending that they deserve. Also, there will be an epilogue after this that I promise won't take as long to release! I loved making this AU with all my heart and I have another story that is in the works called "Future Past." In this story, your favorite future children will be back, but this time, they will have Miraculous powers and it will follow everything that's happened in the main canon so far. However, I will be somewhat adding my own inserts and fanons into the story to make it more interesting so to say. Back to this story though! It's Louis' birthday and everyone is here to celebrate! Before he gets to his party though, his family must make amends with a few loose ends in the aftermath of the Agreste case. Then! Louis, Hugo, Emma gets to let loose at the biggest birthday of the year with the rest of their friends and family. I hope you enjoyed reading this entire story, and I hope to see you all in my next work!
Louis' POV
It's been several days since Emilie's funeral, and it feels as if I could finally move on from the mess that was literally my life. Between meeting Maman meeting Papa again, and all of us bringing Gabriel to justice in court thanks to Mr. Phoenix Wright and his crew, so many things have happened. I had almost forgotten it was my own birthday when I woke up this morning. I laid there in bed thinking about how relieving it was to lay in bed without fearing for my life anymore. It was great. It's strange because I didn't feel any different now that I'm 15, but I know that everything is different now. I sat there in bed, just breathing for a few moments to let it really sink in that I am 15 now. I leaned back against the headboard and smiled to myself before hearing a knock at the door.
"Hello hello? Is the birthday boy awake?" I heard my mom call from the other side of the door. Nodding even though my mom can't see it, I beckon her to come in.
"Yeah Maman! Come in!" I called back as the door opened revealing Marinette with an intricately wrapped box with a baby blue ribbon, "Oh what is that?" I asked as I noticed my mom having a sly smirk on her face as she walked over to the bed and sat at the end of it.
"Oh it's a little... preliminary gift that I got for you since my baby boy is now 15!" My mom smiled bright as I caught a whiff of the sweet scent from the box, and then I immediately knew what it was.
"Did you bake something for me?" I asked excitedly as Marinette nodded and gingerly undid the ribbon on the box and then in a stark contrast, dramatically opened the box to announce the contents of the box.
"These are my famous Marinette Every Flavor Macaron Delight! There are about 20 plus flavors all crafted for the ultimate sweet tooth pleasure! Although, don't eat them all at once, these are kinda sweet," Marinette announced as I gaped at all the different flavors there were. Among the array of macarons, I could see the classic flavors like raspberry, pistachio, coffee, matcha, but there were also flavors that I couldn't figure out right off the bat. Looking at them in awe for a moment, I was also reminded of the amount of time and precision it takes to just create one of these batches perfectly. If you over-mix or under-mix the batter by even a little bit, the entire thing is already ruined. I felt a sinking feeling in that moment that these must have taken forever for my mom to make, even for a baker of her skill level.
"Oh my god Maman! You must have worked so hard on these," I commended my mom as I took a whiff of the symphony of sweet and rich aromas coming from the box.
"Yeah, I went over to Grandpère and Grandmère's place earlier this morning in order to make them, I wanted to surprise you when you woke up," Marinette explained as I took one of the macarons out of the box to taste it. However, I stopped the macaron midway on the road to my mouth because I realized that right now is 10 am in the morning, so I'm a little afraid of how much time Maman put in these.
"Wait Maman, when you mean 'earlier this morning,' what time was it exactly?" I asked carefully as my mom watched me carefully for a moment before sighing.
"You know, you ask way too many questions for your own good... but... if I had to say, it was probably around 5 in the morning," Marinette answered, giving me a confused look in response to my bewildered reaction. Honestly, hearing that my mom actually woke up at 5 in the morning was unheard of, especially because she is NOT a morning person.
"Awww Maman, you didn't have to do that for me," I leaned in to give her a hug, which she gladly reciprocated in a tight squeeze. The amount of love and security that I feel from my mom is so overwhelming because I remember how it was just us in the beginning, the two of us against the world. We just looked at each other for a few moments to bask in the happy and light hearted atmosphere. Over the years, we've had very few moments like this, it's always been those light hearted moments laced with the subversive horror of Gabriel breathing down their necks. Now... it was different, and we can bring our lives to some semblance of normal again. When we separated, my mom looked at me for a moment to take in my features in the morning light. That moment felt magical and almost surreal as we just sat there, taking in each other. Finally, I got the courage the break the silence, "Maman... is there something wrong?"
My mom shook her head gently and just smiled at me, "No... I was just wondering how I got so lucky to have you as my son..." Marinette whispered, and with that, I automatically knew what to say back.
"No, I'm the lucky one Maman," I grinned at her and Marinette let out a breathless laugh as she pulled me in again for another hug before gesturing her head towards the door.
"You can save those macarons for later, but there are other people who want to celebrate your birthday with you," Marinette stood up while I was trying to quickly down another macaron. I stood up with her, followed my mom out of my bedroom, and into the living room to find it was completely redecorated for the occasion. There were streamers all over the walls and balloons that spelled out "Happy Birthday!" I then heard a loud chorus of the word "SURPRISE!" and I saw my family waiting there for me: my siblings Hugo and Emma, and my dad Adrien Agreste. It then suddenly hit me that it was my first birthday with my dad, and it felt as if we've done this forever; as if my dad has been there for me for all my birthdays when in reality, it was only this one. We've only actually known each other for just under a year, and yet it feels as if we've known each other our whole lives. It's a weird feeling because I don't know how much happiness or sadness I should feel. It's like a tug of war inside of my head that questions whether I should be happy that I feel like he's known me my entire life, or if I should be sad because that's just simply not the truth. However, I tucked away those thoughts for now because the last thing I want on my mind today was doubts.
"Awww you guys, this is so sweet! You decorated this all last night!?" I exclaimed as I bent down to receive the tackling hugs from my siblings, who hugged me tight and kissed me on my cheeks on both sides.
"Yeah we did! We had to wait until you went to sleep first before we could help Papa with the decorations. Do you like it?" Hugo explained happily as I took another moment to take in the merriment and joy that was in the room, and I couldn't help but smile.
"Yeah, I love it," I breathed out a sigh of awe as my dad came up to me and grinned widely, which I reciprocated, "I can't believe that I'm 15 years old now... wow..."
"I hope you liked the decorations, it's only one thing I can do to make up for the all the lost time," Adrien chuckled as I frowned slightly at that statement, but I knew what he meant. Even though I hold no ill will against him for being absent, I knew that there was a lot Adrien had to do in order to make up for lost time. I could tell that my dad still felt awful about it as well. In spite of that, I smiled lightly and tried to cheer him up.
"You're doing great," I laid a hand on his shoulder and leaned my head to bump against it. I felt my dad look down at me with a soft gaze as if he was contemplating something. After a moment, he wrapped an arm around me and guided me into the kitchen.
"Well, it's only beginning, your mom and I helped create a wonderful breakfast for all of us to celebrate your birthday," My dad introduced me to a beautifully set table that I honestly did not recognize. There were beautiful sets of china and cloth that contained different kinds of food: bread, sautéed salmon, dumplings, tarts, salads, and a mouthwatering chicken Alfredo pasta that I could smell from several feet away. In the middle was a beautiful bouquet centerpiece of lilies, irises, and pennywort. This was definitely not our table.
"Where did all of this come from? Whose china and plates are these?" I exclaimed as my siblings excitedly rushed past me and readily sank into their chosen seats at the table as my mom came out of the kitchen and proceeded to explain.
"These were actually Adrien's, he brought them over from his house since we had to talk about arrangements of Adrien moving in," My mom explained as it took me a moment to process the last part of her sentence before my siblings and I freaked out at the same time.
"WAIT WHAT?!" Me and my siblings exclaimed as my mom and dad looked at us as if our reactions were practically the opposite ones they were expecting. I'm sure that to them, we didn't really seem all that excited; in fact, I'm pretty sure we sounded appalled by the suggestion, and my siblings and I knew exactly why.
"What? I thought you would be glad that your father is moving in, what's wrong?" Marinette set down the pan she was holding on the kitchen counter and they both looked at us with those equally offended expressions that just killed us. Honestly, the expression on Adrien's face made me regret my reaction even more: the glassy eyes, the slightly pouted lip, and the overall kicked puppy look is probably his trademark, and it's a very effective one at that.
"Well ummm..." Hugo started as I could literally see him try to formulate the words and he managed to continue, "It's just, I thought that this kind of thing..." Hugo tried to go on, but his next words kinda fell flat tying to avoid eye contact with our parents. However luckily, Emma continued for him.
"It's not that we don't want you to move in Papa... but I kinda thought... or at least wished that..." Emma continued but I also saw her crack on the guilt-ridden pressure of our reactions and I decided to take over for her, completing what we were all thinking.
"You guys were married before we make all these huge changes since..." I continued and I noticed my parents' faces turned red from the implication, and I felt a little smug that we were all kind of expecting this before, "We need to make it official that Adrien is not just our biological father, but our Papa for life." I saw my mom cover half her face with her hand but I could still see the blush on her face, and I could tell she was smiling under it. Adrien's reaction was even more wholesome as he had the widest grin on his face but I could tell he was still embarrassed from what we said. My siblings looked to me and smiled, grateful that I finished our request for them.
"I mean... we never really went into those details... but it does make sense..." Marinette laughed nervously as Adrien snapped his head toward her and smiled warmly at her. At that moment, I knew that he was definitely going to do it, and I knew it was going to be amazing.
"Yeah it does make sense... and that's why," Adrien smoothly slid over behind her and wrapped his arms around her in a teasing yet loving embrace, and Marinette snapped her head towards him in surprise as he leaned down to tell her, "when I do propose, which is definitely soon, you'll have no idea it's coming," I chuckled inwardly, knowing that my mom would absolutely go crazy over this. I swore I could see my mom getting redder with every second.
My mom sniffled slightly as she leaned into his touch and asked, "Really? You'd make a proper proposal? Even... after everything?" My smile fell a bit when I realized she was crying and I understood her doubt.
"If you say yes, then I will. But I will be by your side for the rest of your life... I won't leave... not now... not ever," Adrien reassured her and my mom had the brightest smile on her face. They stared at each other for a few moments before my siblings broke the silence.
"Wow... it's like they're teenagers again..." Hugo smiled like an idiot as he gazed lovingly at them, and I couldn't help but do the same. Emma though was really the one who broke the silence though.
"Ummm hey Maman? Papa?" Emma called out coyly and the two of them looked at us as if they were just snapped out of a trance, "Can you practice your wedding vows for later? We're hungry!" Emma joked as I let out a snort and we all laughed together. As we all settled down to eat, and for the first time in a long time, I felt at peace.
While we were in the middle of eating, Adrien got a text from Chloe and I looked up at him as he picked up the phone to check what it was. After a moment, he smiled and looked directly at me.
"Hey Louis, Chloe offered to throw your birthday party at the Bourgeois hotel!" Adrien announced as my mom and I had matching shocked looks on our faces.
"Did Chloe actually offer that?" Marinette finished her latest piece of pasta before leaning over to look at the text momentarily. After a moment, she took the phone and passed it to me so I could read it.
"Wow... I can't believe it... my birthday party at the Bourgeois Hotel," My eyes scanned over the text that read: Hey Adrikins! I just wanted to let you know that I'm totally fine to hold Louis' birthday party at Daddy's hotel! You better let Marinette and Louis know and answer back with a timely manner because my offer only stands for so long!
"Louis, so do you want this? Or do you want it at a smaller venue because we could do it at home," My mom wore a concerned expression on her face, but I didn't really get why she had to be concerned.
"You know what? I could use a change, it's my 15th birthday and it should be grand you know?" I answered, but it was more for myself than it was for my mom. I've spent most of my birthdays at home with just my mom and my siblings, and now that my dad has entered my life, it opened up so many new things. New experiences and new people to meet that I never knew, and now was the time to make the most of what life could really be.
"Yeah, I get that sweetie, so yeah! Let's have your birthday at Chloe's place! And to think I thought that I'd never see the day when Chloe would actually do this," My mom muttered that last part to herself I could tell, but I still heard it. I laughed and leaned my head on her shoulder, extending my hand so I could give my dad's phone back to him.
"So did I Maman... so did I," My mom laughed nervously as I looked over at my dad again and he was looking at his phone again with a grim expression, "Hey Papa, what's wrong?"
We all turned our attention towards him as he looked up at all of us and turned his phone around so we could see what he was looking at.
"Do you remember Nathalie?" Adrien asked and we all nodded.
"Yeah, she was Monsieur Agreste's assistant right?" Emma wondered aloud and Adrien nodded back at her in agreement.
"What happened to her?" Marinette asked as my mom and I looked closer at the phone and I realized the page my dad was on was a news report.
"Well... she turned herself in... as an accomplice to my father's crimes," Adrien answered as all of us gasped in surprise. After a moment, Hugo spoke up.
"So.. what do we do now?" Hugo asked as we were all silent for a moment, not really knowing what to say. I wouldn't say I knew Nathalie well, but I did know that she was involved in a lot, if not, all of Gabriel's happenings of late. My mom and my dad apparently knew her well. The news article that my dad was on showed a photo of Nathalie being her mug shot. Finally, my mom made a decision after the moment for shock has passed.
"We need to head down there... and figure out what happened," Marinette decided as we all looked at each other for a second and nodded. We then finished our food quickly and promptly changed to head down to precinct to figure out what happened. This was certainly turning out to be quite the surprising birthday indeed.
Third person POV
The trip down to the precinct was intense as everyone was silent and no one really knew what to say. Adrien knew that Nathalie must have done it out of guilt. However, there must have been more to the story because they were still waiting for Gabriel's trial date to be released. Soon enough, the car was parked and everyone made their way to the precinct. The precinct was bustling with activity as police officers hurriedly made their way around to do whatever tasks they needed. The family entered the lobby where there was an array of seats that people were sparsely using and there was a counter at the end of the room where the reception people worked.
"Nathalie must be in custody right now in the back, I guess we'll have to see if we can talk to her," Adrien murmured and looked at Marinette and the kids for confirmation and they nodded in agreement. The family then walked up to the front desk where an officer greeted them.
"Greetings, what could I do for you all today? Do you have an appointment?" The officer was stoic but she seemed nice enough as she looked between them and her computer screen. Adrien nervously tapped his fingers on the counter before answering.
"No we don't... but we were hoping to see Nathalie Sancoeur?" Adrien asked hopefully as he continued to give an explanation for their visit, hoping that it was enough context. For some reason, Adrien had a sinking feeling that visiting Nathalie was going to be harder than they thought, "We heard that she was recently taken in custody for Gabriel's Agreste's crimes and I'm his son, and so we would really like to visit her." The officer looked between him, Marinette and the kids and she then realized who they were.
"Oh! You're the family from the Agreste trial! Yes, of course, she currently being interrogated right now, but she should be available for visitation in about 10 minutes, so please take this paper," The officer ripped a slip of paper from a dispenser that was connected to her computer and handed it to Adrien. Marinette and the family leaned in to look at the paper and it contained a visitation number, "and have a seat and wait."
"Thank you," Adrien slightly bowed his head in thanks and the family seated themselves in the chairs, just sitting in the moment of all the buzzing cacophony of the precinct.
"Why do you think she did it?" Hugo asked quietly, breaking the silence and looking to Louis, who tried to think of an answer.
"If I had to guess, I don't think she really agreed with what Gabriel was doing from the start," Louis cocked his head slightly, thinking to himself about the merit of that assumption, "I guess she couldn't live with it anymore." Louis leaned back against the chair and resigned himself to pick at his nails.
"Why did this have to happen on Lou's birthday?" Emma sighed as Marinette sighed and wrapped a comforting arm around her daughter and brought her in close against her side.
"It's going to be alright sweetie, besides, it's gonna take more than this to ruin Louis' big birthday celebration at Chloe's," Marinette reassured her daughter as she looked over at Adrien and found him deep in thought. She knew that Adrien would be kicking himself for this even though she was sure this was what Nathalie wanted. However, she did understand that Nathalie was the last person Adrien had in his life as any kind of parental figure, and now that was gone too. She understood that feeling of having no one to turn to, and she wanted to save Adrien from that loneliness, "Adrien... are you alright... you've been silent ever since we sat down..."
Adrien snapped out of his thinking reverie for a moment to look at her and offered a small smile, "I'm fine Mari... it's just... well.. I'm just remembering what it was like in that house, when it was just me, my father, Nathalie, and Gorilla. And now... there's nothing left," Adrien sighed wistfully as Marinette and the the children, who were listening in, could only look at him sadly.
"Adrien..." Marinette started to say but Adrien tried to quickly cover it up before she could get another word in.
"You don't have to feel sorry for me, I mean, I should have known it would have ended up like this," Adrien smiled bitterly, but Marinette could tell there was still more bite behind those words," You know that house? Ever since my mom went into her coma, that house has been nothing but empty and soulless. It's nothing compared to what you've been through. So please don't worry about it," Adrien tried to give Marinette a reassuring smile but she didn't really buy it.
"Adrien, I don't want you to spare me from talking about your feelings about all of this," Marinette placed her hand on top of his as she continued talking, " I don't want you to feel like you have to belittle your struggle just because of everything I've been through." Adrien stared at her pensively for a moment, considering her words until Louis added in his own comment.
"Dad, if I'm gonna be honest," Louis started in a deadpan tone that felt like he was just tired of everything concerning the past, "we're all messed up, I mean, we're all in therapy, and I still have to attend PT sessions to make sure that my body doesn't give out on me. We've been through so much that I think that talking these things through to start the healing process is not a bad idea."
Adrien gave Louis a worried look as he noticed the tiredness that was practically oozing from his voice and eyes. Louis then glanced out of his eye at his father as if he was expecting a response from him, and Adrien nodded in understanding, "I know Louis...," Adrien looked up at the appointment monitor to find that their appointment number has been called and he signaled the family to take a look at it, "We'll have to continue this discussion later, we have to meet Nathalie now."
The family stood up to walk up to the front desk again and they were led into the back into one of the meeting rooms where Nathalie sat waiting for them. They were separated by glass and Marinette was instantly reminded of the time where she got arrested for Dr. Alver's murder. She could understand how Nathalie felt, being in this place, the loneliness was unbearable. Adrien and Marinette took the main seats while the children stood behind them. No one said anything for a moment as Adrien and Nathalie took a moment to stare each other down, as if they were calculating each other and their intentions.
"I suppose you're wondering why I turned myself in," Nathalie finally spoke and her only sign that Adrien acknowledged what she said was a simple sigh. After another moment, Adrien spoke up with an apologetic tone.
"I'm sorry... for it having to come to this, you didn't deserve it," Adrien looked down at his folded hands, afraid to meet Nathalie's eyes, but when he did, they were only filled with sympathy and regret.
"Didn't I though? I sat by and watched as everything happened. Everything that happened to you all, I could never forgive myself for that," Nathalie sighed and fumbled around with the hands in her lap. She did expect them to come today, but there was nothing they could do for her now. This was her decision, otherwise, she doesn't know how else to atone for her actions.
Marinette glanced towards Adrien and signaled if she could ask a question; Adrien gave her the go ahead and then she started, "Nathalie, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you confessing to?" Nathalie looked at her with a surprised expression if she wasn't expecting her to speak.
"Whatever do you mean Madame Dupain Cheng? I helped cover up all of Gabriel's crimes, do you remember his assault on you at the hospital when your twins were born?" Nathalie asked calmly and Marinette nodded in response, "I helped cover that up as evident by how no one has heard a whisper of that incident since it happened."
Marinette narrowed her eyes at Nathalie and calmly countered back. Even now, she couldn't tell whether Nathalie was happy that it was swept under the rug or if she actually regretted it, "I'm aware that no one has spoken of those incidents, but since the trial exposed everything, it was only a matter of time before they realize what part you played in all of this," Marinette knew that it was only a matter time before they looked into Nathalie, so maybe that was why she voluntarily turned herself in, "So why now?" Marinette asked calmly as Adrien looked worriedly between the two women. He did trust that Nathalie was turning herself in for the good reasons, an he had no reason to doubt her, but apparently Marinette still had plenty of reason to.
"Because it's time," Nathalie answered simply, "I've been pushing the line when my past would eventually catch up with me, and I can't push it anymore," The family heard her choked voice and couldn't help but feel sorry for her, "I can't bring an innocent family down with me," Nathalie sighed as she fixed her glasses and waited for the family's response. She knew that the family didn't completely forgive for everything. At least Adrien didn't hold anything against her, but she couldn't say the same thing for Marinette, or Louis, "It's time."
When Nathalie glanced over at Louis, he had this blank yet calculating expression on his face as if he was trying to gauge something from Nathalie. His entire stature was completely relaxed and he was leaning back in his chair as if he was completely expecting this confession. Finally Louis broke the silence but his voice was barely above a murmur when he did.
"I suppose you have to stop running I guess..." Louis finally replied as everyone turned their attention towards him. He sounded so apathetic yet so wise because of the utter terseness that was laced in his voice, "because after this, you have nowhere to run despite your own efforts to make up for what you did," Louis murmured, looking at no particular point in space before locking eyes with Nathalie.
Nathalie gave him a small smile and reflected upon his words, "You're right, I can't run from what I did to your family Louis. However, I would like to thank you for your performance with Adrien a few months ago," Louis' eyes widened slightly in interest at the mention of his recital because he was aware that Nathalie and Gabriel were there for it, but what was the point of mentioning it now? "It made me believe that your journey has a happy ending, seeing you two up there... it's a shame Gabriel didn't share the same sentiment."
Louis sighed as he refolded his arms and adjusted himself in his seat, "Yes... it is a shame, not that I expected anything at all from him," he cast a knowing look at Nathalie and he could feel the concerned gazes of his family on him, but he honestly couldn't care, "or you..."
"Yes I know... and I hope that you could forgive me someday for not trying hard enough," Nathalie replied, albeit a little disappointed by Louis' remark but she knew she deserved it.
Louis narrowed his eyes slightly at her, scrutinizing her under his gaze. He wasn't going to let her off easy, and despite his own chagrin, he tried to lace his words with as much apathy as possible, "Someday... but if you think that day is today, then you are sorely mistaken."
"Louis..." Marinette warned as she knew Nathalie already felt bad enough about being responsible for everything, but Louis wasn't making things easy, which she expected, "don't make her feel worse," Marinette started to say but Louis cut her off.
"But it's the truth isn't it?" Louis asked without really expecting an answer, because he already knew. His mom didn't really forgive Nathalie either, he could see it on her face. There was still doubt and mistrust in them, and Louis wasn't really sure if he still had compassion left to even feel. However, he was grateful that she at least tried to change her ways.
"You don't need to sugarcoat it Madame Dupain Cheng," Nathalie interjected softly as the pair turned their attention back towards her, "I'm glad that I'm finally free, and in turn, you are finally free as well," Marinette could only give her a look of sympathy because there was no other way to comfort her, "Visiting hours are almost over by the way, so if you have any last words, I would love to hear them."
Adrien sighed as he looked back for a second to check on the officer to see if he was going to remind them, but when he didn't, he took that as his cue to talk, "I wish your life would have been easier, therefore my life would have been easier, but our lives will be better after this and I truly wish that we can leave the past behind for the better," Adrien gave Nathalie a reassuring smile with her returning it. Just then, the guard came in and told everyone that visiting hours were over, and the two parties were going their separate ways forever. As the family got up to leave, Marinette turned back to look at Nathalie one last time and the woman looked strangely content with all that has transpired.
"Nathalie?" Marinette called out one final time as the woman turned around to face her.
Nathalie nodded for her to continue, "Yes Madame Dupain Cheng?"
Marinette sighed for a moment, gripping the strap of her purse tightly while she mulled over the effects that Gabriel has had on everyone around him. Marinette felt sorry that not everyone could have the happy ending they deserved. It was something that Marinette was going to regret for the rest of her life.
"Please, take care of yourself until you're free again," Marinette requested earnestly with a smile. Nathalie looked at her for a moment before giving her a pleasant smile, turning away, and walking out the door forever. The family filed out of the door and collectively took a huge breath a they made their way out of the precinct. It was another chapter closed, and maybe now they could figure out what being a family meant to them. They all walked out of the precinct into the cool, breezy afternoon air of Paris, the wind carrying their promise to the great beyond, "Well shall we go head over to Chloe's to help with Louis' surprise party?" Marinette asked, making finger quotes around the word 'surprise' as Louis chuckled and the family stopped at Marinette's car. Hugo then realized something out of the blue and hurriedly motioned his mom over so he could whisper into her ear. The rest of the family looked inquisitively at the two as Marinette's eyes widened and the two of them slowly straightened up and tried to play off their strange behavior.
"Mari? What's wrong?" Adrien asked as Marinette waved her hand a little too quickly to dismiss his worries.
"It's nothing Adrien," Marinette tried to laugh off the suspicion with Hugo mirroring her bad poker face, "although, I actually have some errands with the kids so why don't you guys head there first, and I'll meet up with you guys later!" Louis raised an eyebrow at his mom, watching as Hugo whispered to their sister the issue and saw her eyes widen in surprise as well.
"Are you sure?" Adrien asked as Marinette ushered both Hugo and Emma to the car and the trio got in quickly.
"We'll meet you at the party!" Marinette called out as the car reversed out of the parking spot and sped away into the streets of Paris as Louis and Adrien watched skeptically from the parking lot. Louis then took a couple of steps so he was next to his father and glanced at him from the corner of his eye.
"Dad... did you honestly believe that?" Louis asked as he saw Adrien shake his head and grin knowingly at him.
"Nope, not at all," Adrien answered simply and the two shared a laugh in the parking lot, appreciating the humor in how they know Marinette so well.
"Yeah, she definitely forgot to do something, but I can't figure out what she could have possibly forgotten," Louis mulled over it for a moment before Adrien draped an arm over his arms shoulders and guided him to the curb so he could call Gorilla to pick them up.
"Let's just do what she says for now, and hey!" Adrien reassured Louis as they stopped at the curb of the sidewalk, "for your first birthday with your entire family, you might as well arrive in style!" Louis smiled appreciatively and smirked at the fact that he was going to his birthday party in a limousine for the first time ever. While the pair waited for their ride to arrive, the other half of their family was currently speeding to their family bakery as a certain someone forgot to bake the birthday boy's birthday cake.
"Oh my goodness, I was so busy making his birthday macarons this morning that I completely forgot that he needed a birthday cake for his party!" Marinette panicked as she signaled right and hastily made a turn onto the street where their family bakery was. Hugo leaned over so she could see him in her rearview mirror.
"Technically Madame Bourgeois made the offer to have Lou's party at her place earlier, so you had no time to prepare a cake," Hugo tried to explain but Marinette softly cut him off with an explanation of her own.
"Regardless of whether we would have Louis' party at Chloe's place or not, I should have baked him a cake, but I was so busy making his birthday macarons that it completely slipped my mind!" Marinette exclaimed as she quite hastily parallel parked into a space next to the bakery and somehow did a good job. Then, the trio rushed out of the car and into the bakery where Tom and Sabine greeted them.
"Ah! It's my beautiful daughter and adorable grandchildren! What can I do for you?" Tom heartily asked as Hugo and Emma ran up to hug their grandfather. Marinette greeted the customers of the bakery before grabbing an apron and sliding behind the counter so she could explain the situation to her parents.
"So Mom, I kinda forgot to bake Louis a cake for his birthday party now that it's being held at Chloe's place and I was wondering if you had any spare ingredients left so I could make Louis a cake," Marinette explained quickly as Sabine gasped and looked between her daughter and the kitchen trying to mentally calculate if they still had ingredients.
"Oh dear, that does sound like trouble, but sweetie, if you're looking to make a grand birthday cake for Louis, that's going to take hours! You're going to be late!" Sabine explained as she helped another customer with their order and looked at the clock to gauge how much time Marinette had, which was not a lot.
"Oh shoot..." Marinette murmured worriedly as Tom came up behind the two of them with a grin and gave a hearty pat to his daughter that seemed more as a slap than anything else. Marinette yelped in surprise as she took a step forward in surprise and found that her dad was laughing in response, "Papa? What's so funny?"
Tom gave his daughter a wink of reassurance, "I figured that this was going to happen," Tom went into the kitchen and after a few moments came back with an assortment of cakes on his shoulders and arms. The family gasped in surprise as they all gathered around Tom and marveled at the beautiful and extravagant cakes. They were all different tiers and they were all decorated with the richest of creams, chocolates, and fruits, "So I went ahead and made these in advance for Louis! And for the customers of course." Tom coughed sheepishly.
"These look so yummy!" Emma exclaimed as she was tempted to touch the cake to taste the cream, but she was immediately stopped by Hugo who shook his head but still had his eye trained on the mango mousse cake. Marinette squealed in delight as she examined each one and clapped her hands together in admiration of her father's work.
"These are perfect! Papa, thank you so much for making these, they're beautiful!" Marinette exclaimed as the family now had one question left to answer for Louis' birthday party: which cake would Louis like the most?
"We have to go with the mango mousse cake!" Hugo exclaimed as Emma interjected with her choice.
"The white chocolate and raspberry cake is what I think Lou would like the most!" Emma argued as she pointed to a beautiful 2 tiered cake with raspberries and white chocolate flowers adorning it.
"We have to go for this passion fruit cake with the pineapple buttercream," Marinette inquired as Tom came in with his own suggestion.
"You can't go wrong with your classic chocolate cake with extra cacao and fudge!" Tom laughed as Sabine looked at all of them and gingerly let out a chuckle.
"I think you all suggested your own personal favorites, but what is Louis' favorite flavor?" Sabine chuckled as the four of them thought about it for a good moment. What was Louis' favorite cake? Sure he had many in the past, and he liked most of them but which cake did he just inhale? Marinette looked at the remaining cakes and there was one that stood out to her: the red velvet cake with exquisite cream cheese frosting that made it look like a dream. She remembered that whenever she baked together with Louis, he would always hesitate on the red velvet cake recipe in their family cookbook, looking at it as if he always wanted to taste it, but never suggested to make it to her. Marinette pondered it for a moment before smiling wide.
"I think Louis would love this one," Marinette pointed to the red velvet and everyone eyed it with an appreciative appraisal. It was as if everyone forgot what their recommendations were and immediately knew that this cake was Louis'.
"Then it's settled! This!" Tom's announced dramatically as he put all the other cakes down and raised the red velvet cake with his hands like a pedestal, "is Louis' birthday cake!" Everyone nodded in agreement and Tom quickly put it within a box and handed it to his daughter. Marinette signaled to her kids to head out to the car and before she reached the door, she turned around.
"Oh yeah! Papa! Maman! I'll see you guys at Chloe's place later right?" Marinette asked as Hugo and Emma stopped and also turned around to look at their grandparents.
"Of course!" Sabine smiled, "just give us a moment to finish these orders and close up shop and we'll be right over!" Sabine waved to her daughter and grandkids as they filed out the door to head over to Chloe's. When they sat in the car, Marinette let out a sigh of relief.
"Maman? What's wrong?" Hugo asked as Marinette sat in the driver's seat with the cake for a silent moment before answering.
"Just relieved that we managed to get a cake for Louis' birthday, could one of you hold it?" Marinette carefully handed the cake to the backseat, which Emma took and with that, Marinette started the car.
"I got it Maman!" Emma laid the box safely in her lap as she wrapped her arms around it as if it was a precious baby. Marinette smiled in the rear view mirror and pulled out of their parking spot to head over to Chloe's place. Meanwhile, Louis and Adrien had just arrived at the aforementioned hotel and they were met with Chloe Bourgeois herself.
"I was expecting you two!" Chloe smiled at her old friend as Adrien gave a smile back and she looked over at Louis with a playful look of disdain, "although the birthday boy needs to change, he's not going to wear THAT to his first legitimate birthday party."
Louis feigned a look of mock annoyance as he looked down at his outfit: a white button up shirt, a slightly beaten dark blue jacket, jeans, and white vans with black laces. He adjusted his jacket to hide more of his shirt as he felt a bit judged under Chloe's scrutiny .
"Really? I didn't think this was that bad," Louis mumbled defensively as Chloe immediately cut him off.
"Nonsense, you simply must indulge yourself, not just with this party, but with your look as well. We'll get this catastrophe straightened away," Chloe snapped her fingers and all of a sudden, a few of her maids came out of nowhere and immediately corralled Louis into the building after Chloe. Louis looked back desperately at his father and mouthed 'help me' but all Adrien could do was hold in his laughter as he chased after his son. Soon, Louis found himself in a suite that has been partially transformed into a dressing room. Louis glanced to his left at his father, who shrugged as Chloe brought out racks of outfits that were all for Louis to try on.
"You gotta be kidding..." Louis exclaimed as the maids slightly forced him to his feet as Chloe looked between him and the outfits that were the rack to see if there were any hidden gem outfits. Chloe held out an outfit from the rack and Adrien looked at it with interest before standing up and joining Chloe at the rack.
"Hmm.. which one do you think will fit him? This one?" Chloe asked Adrien as he looked between the outfit she was holding, Louis, and the other outfits on the rack.
"Hmm... his physique is similar to mine when I was his age, but he's a little bulkier. So maybe this one would fit him better," Adrien pulled out an outfit that consisted of a black leather jacket, a white sweater and black jeans.
"Are you trying to make him look like a biker? Hmm... yes he does seem a little bulkier than you when you were his age," Chloe mused over it for a moment while Louis thought to provide some context for that.
"Oh! I play soccer often and I often did the heavy lifting when I help my mom with stuff around the house, so I suppose that explains it," Louis explained as Chloe nodded and let out a little giggle which the two Agrestes gave a look of slight confusion.
"Oh my goodness, all Adrien did when he was your age was model and walk down a runway in fancy clothes," Chloe laughed as she went back to finding something else with Adrien giving her a look of annoyance.
"Hey, I did fence often! I'll have you know that I am a master at it!" Adrien retorted in his defense as Louis looked at him knowingly and let out a scoff. Soon the pair had the poor boy try on different outfits and even though Louis did like all of them, the other two didn't seem to.
"Umm you guys, I think these all suit me fine, what's wrong with them?" Louis asked as he put his original clothes on for the hundredth time.
"Well you inherited your father's ability to look good in practically everything," Chloe deadpanned as Louis blushed and scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. He wasn't afraid to admit that he did care about his clothes and how he carried himself, but hearing it out loud was still a bit embarrassing. He looked down at the current outfit he had on which was a jean jacket with a white crew hoodie on the inside with ripped jeans. Louis sighed and looked over at the rack to eye the outfits that he hasn't tried on yet. Suddenly, his eyes landed on a dark beige overcoat paired with black pants, and stood up to take them from the rack.
"Hmm, what about these?" Louis held up the two articles of clothing and the fashionista pair looked at it in interest.
Chloe stared at it for a minute before replying, "Not a ridiculous idea, try it on," Chloe replied as Louis gave a smile back and went back into the changing screen, and moments later he came back out shrugging on the beige overcoat over his white turtleneck sweater. As he came back, he saw his father's face break into big smile as Louis presented his outfit with an enthusiastic 'tada!'
"So what do you think?" Louis asked as he looked from Adrien and Chloe, who had completely opposite looks on their faces, Adrien looked proud while Chloe was just unreadable.
"You look great, like a young man," Adrien beamed as Louis adjusted the lapels on his coat and looked over at Chloe, who was unreadable for a moment before smiling as well.
"You look fabulous thanks to me, it's a sophisticated casual look, perfect for your birthday party," Chloe bragged as Louis nodded and she signaled the maids to fix up the room again and motioned for the Agreste boys to go back downstairs. While they were walking back to the elevator, Adrien hugged Louis into his side and looked proudly at his son.
"I always knew you would look good in an overcoat, you have the same taste as I do!" Adrien laughed as Louis grinned and wrung his hands together out of anxiety. Adrien noticed this as they got into the elevator and pressed the button to go down to the first floor, "You nervous buddy?"
Louis glanced at his dad out of the corner of his eye and nodded, "Yeah, I mean... I always imagined what a large birthday party like this would be like, and I was convinced for most of my life that my birthday was a burden to my mom," Louis went on, feeling the eyes of both Chloe and Adrien on him. It was a pretty depressing thing to say, but it made sense considering everything he's been through, "I suppose I never thought of my birthday as something to be celebrated in a big way," Louis sighed as he glanced at the two people next to him on the elevator, seeing the empathetic and pitied looks, "It's a pretty depressing thing to say isn't it?" Not a word was said for a moment, with no one knowing what to say in particular, but Louis continued anyway, "But hey! Let's not think about that now because," Louis looked forward again as the elevator told them that they were on the first floor and the doors opened to reveal the party starting to get into full swing. Louis could see his family waiting for him outside the elevator along with countless friends and new faces, "the party is about to start," Louis murmured to himself, but the other two heard him. Louis stepped out and he was immediately bombarded with a loud chant:
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOUIS!" Everyone called out as poppers and streamers were set off and the air was filled with cheer and confetti. Louis and Adrien looked in amazement at the huge amount of decorum put into the party while Chloe just looked really proud of herself. Marinette came forward to hug him and after she let him go, his siblings came up and took both his hands to lead him to main floor where loads of familiar faces were waiting. He could see Sabine, Tom, Dr. Fu for some reason, and all of his friends from school. His two best friends Gavin and Elena came up to hug him and congratulate him.
"Happy birthday dude! This is by far the best birthday party of yours I have ever been to!" Gavin grinned as he slung an arm around Louis' shoulders as the other boy scoffed.
"Dude, this is the only party of mine you've been to," Louis deadpanned at his best friend but that only made Gavin grin even wider.
"Yeah, and that's why it's the best, I know you spent most of your birthdays with just your family, but this is what a real birthday party is meant to be like," Gavin explained as Louis let out a low chuckle of amusement and smiled brightly at Gavin's words.
"Really?" Louis asked as Elena answered for him, bounding up to his side and sending a smile at Gavin for his insistent explanation.
"Of course! Because now, we get to celebrate your birthday with you!" The two friends led their birthday boy to a group where all their friends from school were waiting for them with Hugo and Emma following along.
"You guys all came!" Louis exclaimed as they smiled and gave their birthday wishes to him. Soon after Dr. Fu came forward to offer his own birthday wishes, "Dr. Fu I didn't know you'd be coming!" Louis shook his hand as Dr. Fu smiled gratefully and signaled over to the gift table.
"My best wishes to you Louis, I left my gift for you over there on the table. But I wanted to tell you that you overcame such great adversity and strife to make it to where you are now. You've really grew up to be a strong and dependable young man. I watched your trial on TV, and I wanted you to know that my door is always open if you wanted to talk and let go," Louis smiled gratefully as he always did enjoy his talks with Dr. Fu. There was this tea that he made that he always looked forward to having. He would have separate and family sessions when it came to his therapy, and Dr. Fu really did become part of the family considering the amount of times he's had to help Louis' family through their mental crises.
"Thank you Dr. Fu, it really means a lot," Louis thanked Dr. Fu, who nodded and went over to talk to Marinette and Adrien. There were still so many people to greet, it seemed like an exhausting process as a host, but strangely enough, he felt like his energy was renewed every single time. With a renewed vigor, he went on to greet everyone who came to his birthday party. A while later, everyone was gathered at the main lobby and Chloe had an announcement to make.
"Alright everyone! I had a lot of things planned for this party, in fact, there's a map at the table near the entrance that will detail every place I have prepared for your enjoyment," Chloe announced as everyone who did take the pamphlets opened them and looked at the honestly vast map of all the activities she prepared, "the arcade is to the left of here, the karaoke stage and dance floor is at the back, there is a tablet that has every song you could ever want, the chocolate fountain with all the fondue condiments are to the right near the dining room table where we will all be dining. Also the indoor skydiving chamber is upstairs, which is a new addition." Marinette and Louis raised their eyebrows in interest at the mention of the skydiving chamber. How did she even afford that? "If you want to take helicopter tours of Paris, then that is on the roof, so take the elevator on the second floor to go up there. There is so much more to do, and not enough time to explain so I'm assuming you all can read. I hope you all have fun at Louis' birthday party, it's the least I can do for a good friend of mine whose presence I can finally tolerate," Chloe signaled at Marinette who looked around at everyone who turned their attention towards her.
"Thank you Chloe?" Marinette guessed as she still wasn't sure to this day if half the things Chloe has said about her were even a genuine compliment, "was that supposed to be a compliment?" Marinette murmured the last part to herself. Gavin then found Louis in the crowd and grabbed his hand.
"Wha- Gavin?!" Louis exclaimed as Gavin cut him off.
"Dude there's Dance Dance Revolution in the arcade!" Gavin answered as Louis' eyes shone with excitement, "and we gotta see if you could actually beat me this time." Gavin waggled his eyebrows at Louis teasingly.
Louis smirked at his best friend's ego, but went with it anyway, "You're on!" he followed Gavin to the arcade and thus the party began. He never imagined a party could be so lively and loud, and so full of cheer. Louis ended up still losing to Gavin despite his best efforts, but he was closer this time. Louis then took Elena on a helicopter tour over Paris, and he took note of the way Elena held onto him for dear life for almost the entire time. It felt nice.
"Do they have to keep one of the doors open like that? What if someone falls out?" Elena tried to look over the edge of the helicopter to look down at the city below, but she was also trying to lean as close into Louis as much as possible to avoid accidentally falling out even though she had a seatbelt.
"It really does look amazing doesn't it?" Louis murmured as he firmly Elena's linked arms with his own as he leaned over to look out of the helicopter to see the top of the Eiffel Tower. Louis felt her nod and slowly relax against him in that moment,
Then Louis sampled fondue with Marinette and Adrien. There were a lot of things you could put into chocolate as a fondue item and it would still work.
"Mmmm... these strawberries are really good in chocolate," Marinette dipped her strawberry into the dark and white chocolate pools in the fountain. Adrien looked between his fondue fork and a croissant and had an idea. Louis watched in amusement as his father took his croissant on a stick and dip it into the fondue fountain.
"Umm Dad?" Louis asked as Marinette looked at Adrien's creation in intrigue and slight disgust at the same time.
"Adrien! Chocolate baked into a croissant is one thing... this is definitely another. What does that even taste like?" Marinette asked as Adrien lifted the croissant to his face and examined it at the chocolate slowly dripped off the pastry.
"Well we're about to find out," Adrien answered simply as he took a bite out of his creation. He slowly chewed and then moaned with delight at the taste. He then held out his treat to the love of his life, "Mari you gotta try this, the chocolate doesn't actually overpower the pastry to the point where it's disgusting." Marinette looked at it in curiosity before leaning in to take a bite before sounding a muffled approval of the treat.
"Dad could I try?" Louis asked as he gauged both their reactions.
"Sure," Adrien held out his croissant to his son and Louis took a good bite out of the pastry. It actually does taste similar to what his mom would make if the chocolate was actually baked in. Sure it was a lazier method, but it still tasted good.
"Oh wow, this tastes better than I thought," Louis took in the chocolatey taste of the croissant with his parents nodding in agreement. Louis then took a shot at the karaoke stage, and it turns out, he was actually pretty good at karaoke, and so was his sister.
"I think I finally found my hallelujah! I've been waiting for this moment all my life," Louis sang as his sister completed the next verse.
"Now all my dreams are coming true yeah! I've been waiting for this moment!" Emma sang as the song built up to the drop. Louis and Emma smiled big as they completed the next part together.
"It's good to be alive right about now!" Louis and Emma pointed at each other as they sang that next part in harmony. They danced along to the music as if they were putting on a show for all who were watching, "It's good, good, good, good to be alive right about now!" Louis found it amusing how they were singing a song about the gratification about being alive given everything they've been through, but it was appropriate. It felt like for the first time in his life, he could really use his voice any way that he wanted. Louis spent most of his life afraid of saying practically anything that could get him or his family killed. He was certainly rebellious and did speak out against Gabriel's machinations, but it was just a front to hide how scared he really was. Now, he was free to say, or in this case sing anything he wants.
After holding a concert with his sister, Louis decided to test his limits by going indoor skydiving with his brother Hugo. The exhilaration was breathtaking as Louis and Hugo screamed with delight inside the chamber. They laughed without a care in the world and the widest grins could be seen on their faces.
"This is so fun!" Hugo laughed as he tried to do a backflip, but lost his balance and started flying across the chamber. Louis grabbed him in midair and laughed as Hugo tried to steady himself in his brother's arms.
"Hugo! What if we tried to do some duo tricks in the air!" Louis called out as Hugo excitedly nodded and held out his hand to his brother. The two flipped through the air and joined hands to try to rotate themselves in midair. This kind of falling through the air felt different, because Louis was used to the fear that was associated with falling through the air without knowing when the reality of the ground would hit him. It's how he felt living under Gabriel's thumb; it's how everyone felt living under Gabriel's thumb. Louis had always felt like he was falling through the air, with no ground of his own to stand on, completely helpless and vulnerable. However now, Louis learned that there was pure unbridled joy that came with falling and flying in the air and he knew that Hugo learned that as well. It was exhilaration and laughter, and the brothers enjoyed every moment of it.
After going around and seeing everything that his party had to offer, everyone gathered around the dining table where Louis' cake awaited the birthday boy. Louis sat down at the center chair facing his cake as he looked around the table. He saw so many smiling faces around him, faces that he never would have imagined seeing at his birthday party. Louis looked down at his birthday cake and noticed that it was a red velvet cake. Filled with an appreciative warmth, Louis softly smiled at the gesture.
"Mom... thank you," Louis looked up at Marinette, who smiled and leaned down so she could watch the cake glow under the light of the candles with her son, "I guess you knew that I liked that velvet cake that Grandpere makes."
"Of course, I got him to make it for you for your birthday, and now it's time to sing your song!" Marinette exclaimed as she straightened herself and Hugo and Emma inserted themselves in by his side. Louis felt his parents stand behind him in anticipation and he couldn't hide his embarrassment and happiness as everyone began singing.
"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!" Everyone sang in a loud harmony, different voices overlapping each other. Louis had never felt such liveliness on this level and he felt his body swaying along to the song, "Happy birthday to Louis! Happy birthday to YOU!" Everyone sang out in a loud chorus at the final note and Louis leaned forward to blow out his candles and a wide grin spread across his face as everyone cheered and clapped for him. Louis basked in the warmth of his birthday and looked around the table at all the presents piled on his table and the cake in front of him, the wisps of smoke flying from each candle. So this was what a birthday was like... sure, not all birthdays are usually as extravagant and over the top as this. However knowing that he had people who cared enough to grant him a celebration such as this, it touched his heart. Louis felt his dad lean down next to him, studying him for a moment before looking at the cake.
"What did you wish for Louis?" Adrien asked with Louis' expression softening at the question. What went through his mind when he made his wish? All his life, he wished for so many things that were out of his reach thanks to Gabriel. Sure, Louis had blown out candles before and he had made wishes before, but this time... it felt real. Louis thought about it for a moment, and arrived at the wish he made, but he still said:
"Can't tell you! My wish won't come true if I tell you now would it?" Louis quipped as Tom settled in behind them and gave Louis the cake cutting knife. Marinette had removed the candles and Louis raised the knife, ready to cut into the cake. The knife had barely touched the soft creamy exterior of the cake before Louis looked around his family: Marinette, Adrien, Hugo, Emma, Tom, and Sabine. Louis would never tell them, but his wish had already come true. Louis' family was now complete and he had met his dad after 14 years of wondering why. Looking at all their smiling faces, Louis turned back to the cake, completely prepared to cut out the slices of life he had been missing. Gabriel had prevented Marinette and Louis from telling the truth for so long, and he nearly went as far as murder. Louis had wondered if he could ever lead a normal life now that the truth had come out in the most dramatic way possible, but this birthday party proved that he could. The truth had now come out, and what remained was a family that braved it all for the sake of Louis' dream and his wish for the future of his family that he would love until the end of time. With that in mind, Louis sunk his knife in.