"Someone's gonna get the wrong idea if you keep staring at her like that."

Adrien snapped out of his daze, pulling his gaze from Ella across the courtyard to Nino standing beside him.

"Don't scare me like that, Nino."

"Sorry dude- I called your name but you were staring at Ella like the sun was gonna vanish if you looked away."

"Dude."

"It's true, man- you really just need to ask her out already."

Adrien didn't answer, his eyes moving back to the noirette currently on one of the benches with her journal in her lap. There was still so much he didn't know about her- even simple stuff like her favorite color or food! But it was like a dance: one step forward, one step back. He had to be patient with her, like she was being with him- she never pushed him or made him feel used...

"Dude! Again!" Nino's hand clapped on his shoulder, once again startling the blond.

"Sorry man..."

"No big deal dude- you're just gonna be late for the gaming tryout if you keep staring."

"Crap..!" Adrien grabbed his bag and with one last glance at Ella, who was answering her phone, followed up the steps to the library.

"Hello?" Ella answered the unknown call hesitantly, wary of it being her father.

"Miss Maunt."

"Mr. Agreste! Good afternoon!"

"No need to be so formal. Now I was wondering if you wouldn't mind coming by the house on your way home from school. I have repeatedly asked Adrien to invite you over, and yet here we are."

Ella's mind was moving a mile a minute: Mr. Gabriel Agreste, the fashion king and father of her crush/fated partner... was asking her to come to the house and meet him!?

"I... I would love to, sir..." While her mouth answered the words she knew were wanted, her brain was in the process of short-circuiting and panicking.

"Wonderful. My assistant Nathalie will pick you up. Adrien is, as you know, will be at the school Foran event so no need to wait for him."

"Yes, sir."

"Goodbye Miss Maunt."

"Goodbye Mr. Agreste."

The dial tone echoed in Ella's ear before she moved her phone back to her lap. It took another few seconds for her brain to finally reboot and play catch-up, but once it was 100 percent...

"Kiisy what the hell did I just agree to!?" She whisper-yelled, freaking out. Kiismet sighed, smiling at the whole ordeal.

"You just agreed to go meet Adrien's dad. I guess a more official "meet the parents" kind of thing."

"Not helping!"

"You can do this, Elly-bean! I'll be right there with you!"

Ella took a moment but finally breathed deep, held it then exhaled slow.

"Yeah... thanks Kiis."

Ten minutes later, Ella was standing outside the school waiting for that familiar silver car. Her hands fidgeted with her skirt, her shirt, her hair- anything, as she fought against the panic welling inside her.

"Ella?" The girls grey eyes darted up from the ground to see Nathalie standing there.

"Good afternoon, miss Nathalie!" Ella smiled, moving over to the older woman and following her into the car's backseat.

"Thank you for accepting Mr. Agreste's invitation. He has been wanting to meet you for some time now."

"So I've been told..."

"You don't need to worry. Mr. Agreste likes to check on who Adrien is around, to make sure he is safe."

"I understand..."

The rest of the ride was silent, Ella staring out the window while Nathalie informed her boss she and the girl were on their way. Gabriel didn't respond but Nathalie knew he was doing this only because Adrien denied asking Ella so many times. While the girl was the daughter of Paris' most prominent jeweler, she was basically non-existent in terms of news or anything. 'Ella Aurora Aurelle-Maunt' was unheard of until Damien Maunt's wife's funeral two years ago, and the young girl was photographed.

Nathalie turned her gaze from her tablet to Ella. The teen was still looking out the window, but now Nathalie could hear humming coming from her and her fingers were tapping as if playing one half of a piano. Adrien had mentioned Ella writes music and excels in their music class at school. Filing away all the information she was gathering, Nathalie collected the tablet as the car pulled in the gates and stopped at the bottom of the steps.

"Follow me." Nathalie led the way inside, turning to the left and knocking on the atelier doors.

Ella didn't have to act surprised at the room she was in as Raven. It was still a gorgeous place, with the photos of Adrien and the beautiful painting at the end.

"Ah, Miss Maunt."

Ella snapped to attention, her gaze finding Mr. Agreste standing at his computer podium, working on something.

"Thank you for accepting my invitation. I would have waited for Adrien to invite you over himself but it seems he wants to keep you to himself."

"O-of course, sir..."

"Please, sit. I just have some work to finish up while we converse."

Ella nodded, slowly moving over to the magenta seats and taking a hesitant spot.

"So, Miss Maunt, tell me about yourself."

"Um... you can just call me Ella, sir... um... what would you like to know?" The girl fidgeted with her skirt, deciding it was better to let the man to pick what he wanted to know rather than Ella accidentally spilling more than needed.

Gabriel nodded, keeping up the act of finishing work. He studied the girl while she admired the photographs.

"Well, why not start off with when you first met my son."

That was the right topic of choice, as Ella smiled softly and began the tale of how the pair met. Gabriel watched the girl as she spoke, eventually standing and walking around the room as her words painted a picture of the teen's friendship. She then went on to talk about classes and school, other friends and all the fun Adrien was having at school.

However, something washed over the man, making him freeze.

"I'm sorry, Miss Ella. There is an urgent call I have to take. Nathalie can show you to Adrien's room for the time being."

Ella nodded, shocked at the sudden dismissal. But she followed Nathalie out the door and up the stairs to Adrien's room.

"Please feel free to entertain yourself. I'm sure Mr. Agreste's call will be over with soon."

"Thank you, Nathalie."

The door clicked shut, and not a second later, Kiismet burst out of the brown book bag.

"Ugh that was way too long to be cooped up like that!" The kwami groaned, stretching out her little wings as she buzzed around the room.

"Sorry, Kiisy. Hopefully we won't be here much longer." Ella smiled in apology at the little bird, moving to sit on Adrien's couch before the grand piano caught her eye. Changing course, she slid onto the wooden bench and placed her journal and a few blank score sheets on the music shelf. Beside those, Ella placed her special charm: a little silver pocket watch that had been her mothers, still in working order; Ella liked to use it to time her songs. Tapping a few keys to get a feel for their tension, Ella smiled and settled in.

"Where the heck is she!?" Cat Noir groaned, his staff call going straight to Raven's voicemail. Ladybug dodged another blast from the robot, landing beside her partner.

"If she's not here by now, then she's not gonna be here! Let's just focus on capturing the akuma!" Ladybug shouted, her own annoyance growing every second Raven wasn't there to help them.

"Ella?"

Nathalie knocked on the door, Mr. Agreste was finished with his business and sent her to retrieve the girl before Adrien got home. From inside her charge's room, the woman heard the piano playing; she pushed open the door, finding Adrien's friend pretty quick.

The girl was sitting at the piano, alternating between playing and writing. The melody flowing from the instrument was infectious, its gentle tune drifting through the air and out into the house.

"Nathalie?"

Adrien's voice came from behind, drawing the gaze away from the open door.

"Welcome home, Adrien."

"Who's in my room?" The blond moved around his dad's assistant, pushing the door open all the way.

"Ella?"

Adrien smiled at the scene, entering his room and sitting beside Ella on the bench. The girl slowly came out of her reverie, glancing at him and smiling. The boy smiled back, reading the sheet music and placing his hand on the keys. Slowly, he began playing alongside Ella in a higher key, making the girl giggle.

The teens kept playing, not noticing Gabriel approach the door next to Nathalie.

"The girl, sir?"

"She is worthy of being at my son's side. Quite possibly in more ways than one. We will have to see."

Gabriel turned back to the stairs.

"Have them come down for dinner. I still have some questions for Miss Maunt."

"Right away, sir."

"Adrien, Ella- it's time for dinner." The teens perked up at Nathalie's approach, nodding and getting up. Adrien helped Ella pack up her things before the girl held something out to him.

"Here- as a thank you for the other day."

Adrien opened his hand and Ella dropped a little hand-made charm; a silver string with a heart, a music note and two little roses: one yellow and one red.

"Thank you Ella..!" Adrien smiled wide, pulling the girl into a hug- one she reciprocated.

After a few moments, the pair separated and headed down the stairs after Nathalie.

"You'll be eating here, Ella. Mr. Agreste would like to continue your meeting." Nathalie informed when the teens stopped at the front door.

"That's why you were here?" Adrien flushed at his father's actions, but it also explained why Ella hadn't been at the gaming tryouts.

"He called after school and asked... he said he kept asking you to invite me over..."

"I didn't wanna push you, Elle."

"And I'm grateful you haven't. But it was gonna happen and I don't think I want to get on your father's bad side or be forbidden from seeing you."

"I wouldn't let that happen!" Adrien frowned, gripping Ella's hand tight. She couldn't help the smile, nor did she try and pull her hand away as Nathalie ushered them inside the dining room. Mr. Agreste was already in his spot at the far end of the table, while Adrien pulled out the chair to his right for Ella.

"Now, Miss Maunt: what are your intentions with my son?"

"Father!"

"Adrien, it's okay." Ella set down her fork, turning her full attention to Mr. Agreste.

"I take great pride in being able to call your son a dear friend. He is one of the very few people I hold close and have no intentions of ruining that- I will do everything in my power to keep that friendship and to keep Adrien safe."

"Safe?"

Ella paled, realizing she said too much. The panic from earlier resurfaced ten-fold: her breathing caught before turning quickly into hyperventilating, her body began to shake harshly and her pupils went wide as Ella's mind sent her back into her father's most recent beating...

'Everything hurt, as Ella tried to control her breathing and hold in her screams at the same time. Something must have happened at the shop last night, for her father to summon her home just for this. The man in question straightened finally, fixing his clothes as if he did not just beat his daughter halfway to broken bones.

"You are becoming dull, child. It's almost no fun anymore. I wonder if your little boyfriend would be more entertaining."

At those words, Ella froze- anger coursing through her veins.

"You... will not... touch him!" She screamed, her eyes glaring daggers at the man.

"And what could you do about it, child? Who would believe you, that all this occurred or that I said these things? The only thing holding me back is the fact that he is Gabriel Agreste's son..." '

"ELLA!"

Adrien had pulled the girl from her chair before she pitched over, keeping her upright on the floor. He was a little freaked out, despite this not being his first 'Ella' panic attack but this one seemed worse... triggered. He gripped her hand hard, while against his better judgement, he slid her sleeve up...

And a hand stopped him.

Green eyes darted up to meet grey, and the teen couldn't help the huge sigh of relief that escaped him.

"Oh thank god, Ella..."

It only took about ten minutes for the full panic attack to leave her system, and by then, Ella was embarrassed beyond belief and excused herself from the household. Adrien offered a ride home, but Ella said she wanted to walk- saying the fresh air was good. Despite his knowledge about the after-exhaustion, Adrien didn't push it and waved until the girl vanished around the corner.

"Adrien." Gabriel was standing in the doorway to his atelier when Adrien came back inside.

"Father?"

"Despite this evening, I will permit you to continue this friendship with Miss Maunt."

"Thank you father!"

"Now off to your room. You've had too much excitement for one day."

"...good night, father."