Adrien was down at the corner Deli and on his way to Chloé's before sunrise. A text from his job site manager derailed his plans. Usually being on a project gave him lots of free time. He liked to involve himself when he could, but sometimes he was more underfoot than helpful. Other times, times like this, the money man was the only one who could do the talking. He fired off a text to the only number he had for Chloé and hoped it would get through.

Adrien: Project problems. I hope your phone is on silent so I don't wake you. I'll be there as soon as I can. Sorry about this. I'll bring fresh coffee.

As his uber switched targets Adrien stared at his phone. He opened up his conversations list and scrolled down. Opening one he stared at it for almost the rest of the car ride. Only when his driver informed him, 'Almost there.' did he type out a quick message before leaving the car.

Adrien: Hope you two are doing well. Early day for me today.

Three hours of wrangling a new inspector with more clout than sense drained Adrien's will to live. It was a morning of calls to city officials, calls to lawyers, and calls to the media all to get the ball rolling on a project approved half a year ago. Turning a burnt out lot into greenspace with an endowment for care seemed like a no-brainer, but there were sadly lots of no-brains going around. He finally keyed open his texts as he got back in a new ride.

Chloé: Don't rush. Audrey's had a night and I've been on caffeine drip anyway.

Chloé: Bring something chocolate when you come.

Chloé:Baby sundial

This last one has a picture attached of Audrey in her bassinet with the sun shining on her.

Adrien keyed a reply.

Adrien: Still coffee? Chocolate, will do. Sundial ?

He flipped over to the other conversation.

Marinette: Doing good. Emma misses you. Do you know when you will be back in Paris?

Adrien's thumb hovered over the keyboard for a minute before he closed the conversation. Another notification had popped up.

Chloé:Yes coffee, always coffee. You'll have to wait and see.

He closed that conversation too, with a smile born of curiosity on his lips. "Double your tip if you get me to a good coffee shop between here and the drop off, no chain junk."

With a beep and a click the door unlocked and Adrien pushed it open. The penthouse suite was lit by the morning sun. Warm oranges seeped in through the windows to bathe the interior. He found Chloé and Audrey in the living room again and Chloé rose instantly as he entered. He braced for a greeting but instead she plucked the coffee carrier from his hand and turned to set it on the couch end table. She gestured down to Audrey in her bassinet,"Baby sundial."

Adrien looked down, puzzling out the line again while sorting their respective cups. Chloé dove into the chocolate chocolate chip muffin he passed to her. Audrey was at the edge of the sunbeam just as she had been in the picture, but from the furniture around her she wasn't in the same place on the floor. There was a clear line, furniture moved to form a path. He still didn't understand and let his confusion show with a quirked eyebrow,"A little early for tanning?"

Chloé smirked, a crumb of muffin at the corner of her mouth, then leaned down and gently pushed the bassinet from one edge of the light to the other, mindful not to wake the currently dozing Audrey. "The light only comes in from eight to twelve or so."

Something was still missing,"But why?" Adrien crouched down, Audrey was still very small for five weeks. He shifted the blankets, tucking one tiny hand back that had gotten free.

"You never had to deal with it? Jaundice, Audrey was early. I'm supposed to take her outside for sun but New York in the fall is not the best place for a baby to be breathing. So, we do this every morning instead." Chloé crouched beside Adrien as she popped the last of the muffin into her mouth… that must've been a record time… "The doctor says it should even out soon, and she likes the warmth. She'll smile when she's awake for it, but it usually knocks her out." Chloé touched the side of the bassinet lightly to no apparent purpose, but Adrien knew the purpose. Sometimes you just wanted to feel that connection.

"Look who was calling herself no mother." he murmured, giving Chloé a quick side shoulder hug.

Audrey stirred and as one they retreated back to the couch. Chloé reached across him to get her coffee and held it, blowing across the hole in the lid with painted lips. "I never said I didn't want to be a good mom. I'm just not made for it. It hurts sometimes."

"No one is made for it, you learn it." Adrien assured her.

Chloé fixed him with a look,"No, I mean it Adrien. I'm not made for it." Chloé wrapped one arm around her middle. "They had to rip her out of me early, and she's been on formula since she was born. I've got nothing. The Bourgeois line was apparently supposed to end with me."

Adrien didn't answer right away. He just let the mere idea of it sink in. Marinette and he had been so lucky. It had all been so normal with Emma. He thumbed the edge of his cup's lid, quiet little *twngs* from the plastic. "That must be why you want to do it so much. Someone telling you you couldn't do something always got you fired up."

The reply he got wasn't the flippant one he was expecting. There was a bitter cold in Chloé's voice. "I'm going to show Audrey what being a mother means. She can watch from whatever hell she's in as her unremarkable daughter does it all better than she ever could, and when I'm done the world will remember another Audrey Bourgeois, and forget my mother entirely."

Silence stretched again. "Bit dark don't you think?"

This time he got a snort of laughter followed by a somewhat hollow chuckle. "Maybe." Chloé sipped her coffee.

"I know she wasn't the best mother, but I feel like I'm missing something. I saw her obituary when it happened, but now I'm not sure I should say I'm sorry for your loss." Adrien looked up from the lid of his cup and to the woman beside him. The ponytail was indeed longer and fluffed out more. The makeup was a refinement but still largely the same. The sweats still took some getting used to, especially the muted colors instead of her old vibrant yellow, but it was still Chloé, only, he'd missed a huge chunk of her life; some friend.

She leaned down to check on Audrey then tucked her feet up crosslegged and huddled across her lap,"You can, because I'm sure there's some part of me that will mourn eventually. I'm still not there yet though." Her voice was quietly distant, but came back for the follow up. She looked across at him,"Aren't you supposed to be telling me how you ended up at my door?"

Adrien's tension suddenly rose. He remembered his unanswered text. "You got me there," he admitted. "Maybe I'm just trying to catch up a little before I dump anything on you? It sounds like you've been through a lot. I really should have stayed in touch."

"Why?" It was a question, but she had her own answer. "I had no friends in your circle, I wasn't welcome. I had no business spending time with you, and in short order I had no time to spend even if there had been a reason."

"You had-"

"Oh hush Adrien. I was a little monster. I still am, only now I'm a monster to adults, and we all so justly deserve someone being monstrous from time to time. I fill a valuable niche." She blew across her coffee again before taking a sip. Her eyes didn't leave him, challenging sharp little sapphires. Harder than they used to be, less pride more spite.

He knew he could protest again, but that was the test. He didn't. "You were busy in Lycée?" he diverted.

It earned him a rueful smile. She obliged though. "First year was just learning to do my own work, since you all stole my Sabrina away." There was a slight twinge there, but she segued into,"How is she doing? Do you know?"

That was an easy topic. Adrien relaxed back against the cushions. "As far as I know she's doing well; married, no kids. Her and Luka have a workshop in Paris now that he's done touring with his dad. She runs the business end, he makes his instruments."

"Luka? The musician? No!"

"Yep. It kind of took several of us by surprise too. They met after you left. Kind of a support thing at first, but she went from fan to roadie to road manager to manager." Adrien chuckled,"She broke a lot of hearts when she put a ring on him."

Chloé grinned devilishly in sympathetic victory,"Good for her."

Chloé thrummed the side of her cup. "Second year is when everything fell apart. Mom was always a manhattans with lunch businesswoman, but she just dropped into a pit. I never figured out why and honestly at this point, I don't care." Chloé set her cup down without really paying attention and swept her ponytail forward over her shoulder. She coiled the ends of her hairs around her index fingers as she talked. "I got into her phone; unread messages, unreturned texts, business slipping through her fingers. She was letting it all fall apart. So I… I just tried to keep it together." Chloé's voice shrank. "Cramming six years worth of business school and four of fashion into evenings and weekends of self learning. Signing mom's name, doing everything by email. Shoving her in front of cameras and meetings with enough coffee and prompting to keep her coherent for an hour. Dad just ran from it all, hiding in his office. The end of Lycée and into university."

She threw her ponytail back over her shoulder and stretched languorously on the couch. "Imagine an eighteen year old me." It wasn't that hard, even the sweats didn't hinder the image. Adrien flicked his gaze away uncomfortably. "I should have been coasting to a C during the day and decorating the bedsheets of France's finest at night. Instead I was burrowed into books and committing fraud on a grand scale to save our family's legacy. When mom finally drowned her sorrows for the last time it wasn't loss, it was relief." Chloé coiled back upright. "You know the rest. I inherited it all. I knew I would, I wrote the will myself. I became Style Queen and here we are." Chloé slid off the couch and sat on the floor facing Adrien, beside Audrey. She scooted the bassinet a little further along with the sunlight.

Adrien leaned forward, trying to figure out what to say. He'd asked, if only to avoid his problems but that was, a lot. Chloé watched him with a surprisingly quiet eye, waiting to see what her story provoked.

"I wish I had been there to help." He said finally, but immediately he smiled in embarrassment and she shared the exact same smile at the same time. It was such a lame pat answer. "I'm sorry I wasn't there. I can't imagine what that was like. Didn't you have anyone who could help you?"

She let out a soft sigh, laying a hand on Audrey's blankets. "I think I'm full up on my past for today Adrien. I learned to keep looking forward as a way of dealing with things. Reflection…" she looked back up to meet his eyes. "It's not super helpful for me right now."

Adrien dipped his head,"Sorry. Just a touch of guilt I guess."

Chloé tsked,"Well, stop it, or I'll kick you out right now."

Adrien passed his cup from hand to hand. "How about I make it up to you? I know I just loaded you up with sugar and caffeine but I'm pretty sure a parent always needs sleep. I could watch Audrey for a bit?"

Little tells; Chloé's fingers curled slightly on the blanket, her posture seemed to shrink and she hesitated before answering. "I- probably not sleep, but if I could have a little time it might be for the best. If you will be here for a while I have a conference call I could turn into a zoom meeting. Everyone squirms more when you can see them. You aren't going to go anywhere with her right?"

Adrien shifted around to peer into the bassinet, one small eye opened just slightly in response. "Not if you don't want me to. Do you have a carrier if I wanted to?"

"I do. I haven't used it yet." Her voice was shrinking further.

"Don't worry about it. Five week olds aren't that in need of walks.". Both little eyes opened. Chloé reached in but Adrien gently preempted her, touching her arm and lifting Audrey out himself. "Go on."

The indecision was plain on her face, it was an actual struggle for her, and Adrien had no idea how to help. She did stand though, picking up the monitor. She left the camera on a shelf that could overview the room and headed off down the hall.

Adrien raised Audrey to meet that deep blue gaze. "Looks like I'm under evaluation. Be good for me so I don't get fired? Can you say that? 'You're fired?'"

From down the hallway, "Don't you fucking dare!"

Adrien grinned. "I guess that one's out. How about we check that didy and see how we look?"

Adrien fell into the role with complete ease. A baby this small wasn't much effort, especially if she had been premature. He changed her, brought her out, and sat with her as little eyes explored the world that limbs could not yet.

Adrien sat beside her bassinet on the floor with her in his lap, still in the last of the sun before New York high rises cut it off. He gave her a finger which she gripped with the tiny desperation of one still not sure the world around them is real. "You've got big shoes to fill, little miss. Both your namesake and your mother are both forces of nature."

Blue eyes turned to him and he just watched them for a time. A low ache made itself known somewhere inside him and Adrien pulled out his phone again. The message, still unanswered. He licked his lips in thought.

Adrien: I don't know exactly. Tell Emma I miss her. Do you need anything?

Adrien's phone hummed surprisingly quickly.

Marinette: No, we're fine. Do you think you could stay in Paris for a bit when you do get home this time?

How to answer that? How to avoid lying when you don't know the truth? Adrien's gaze drifted to Audrey and then down the hallway, as if hoping some answer would materialize for him.

Adrien: I hope so bugaboo.

A small squawk brought his attention back around. Adrien switched his phone over to silent and stuffed it in his pocket. "Well, we were just changed, are we hungry?"

Adrien explored the kitchen with Audrey on his shoulder. Formula was a new thing for him, he read the instructions three times before giving it a go. It seemed to do the trick though. Four ounces later Audrey's eyes were drooping again.

Adrien settled in, but as soon as he set Audrey down she began to rail against the injustices of the world. He picked her back up instantly to begin rocking, but also too late.

Chloé came flying up the hall, a new more bold face of makeup half-applied and wearing a champagne blouse and white blazer along with her sweatpants. "Adrien? Audrey! What's wrong?"

She reached for the baby but Adrien lightly swatted her hands, twisting away. "She's a baby Chloé, relax. I've got it. Go finish... whatever you were doing." He quirked a brow at her current state.

She visibly waffled between withdrawing and reaching for Audrey again, a half-formed protest on her lips until eventually her hand fell and she nodded, withdrawing in agitation and defeat.

Adrien realized what he'd missed, but couldn't find a burp cloth. He snagged a dish towel and gently patted the tiny back until he was rewarded with a soft 'urp.' He kept up the slow rock as he stood even as the patting turned to a gentle stroke along Audrey's little back. It was a soft soothing touch and he could feel as it had an effect. The little body grew limp and heavy against him, and it was a fast asleep baby that he swaddled back down in her little bed.

Just in time too. Even through the hallway and whatever doors were in the way Adrien could hear Chloé's voice raised in sharp cutting pronouncements. They were just muffled enough to disguise the words themselves, but even so he could catch the tempo and was even able to mouth along as those familiar words took him back in time. 'Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous.'