A week flew by as it can when one is truly buried in accomplishment. Adrien was back and forth to the estate almost daily, tagging out Audrey duties with Chloé during the day and talking her ear off with his plans at night until she inevitably kicked him out for the evening. Those quiet hours were interesting. He'd become aware of little positional differences. She would sit closer or farther away by some unknown rubric; sometimes animated, sometimes withdrawn. There were times after dealing with an Audrey bottle break she would plop herself down on the middle of the couch, making him choose closeness or another seat. Other times she would stuff herself in a corner giving him all the space in the world to sit away from her if he wished. There was something going on in the facets of those sapphires, but he still wasn't sure he was ready to ask what. He was enjoying the company and the shared projects, and she didn't seem to mind that. He let it lay.

Now he was on the work site when an alarm chimed at him from his phone. No immediate reason came to mind as he fished it out and,"Shit." Adrien flipped open his texts and fired one off as fast as he could type.

Adrien: Felix is getting out Thursday. He'll need things from the house. I should come back to handle it.

Adrien paced in the barren ground floor dining hall. Big enough for an entire restaurant, it was originally a ballroom, and would be again. He looked out through the wide windows to where bright yellow vehicles were gutting and rebuilding the surrounding golf course. Chloé had bought the country club and florist adjacent to the estate, reclaiming previously sold acres and providing more space for private lands. Adrien's phone buzzed thankfully fast.

Marinette: It's just his marked boxes in the basement, right? I can do that. You don't need to come back just for that.

Adrien puzzled over the text. Was that last line a test? A reproach? He'd earned one. He'd earned a thousand.

Adrien: Are you sure? This is Felix we're talking about.

Marinette: If I were afraid of Felix he wouldn't be in prison to be getting out in the first place. I can handle it.

Adrien: Ha, very true. I know you can handle it. I just didn't want you to have to. He's my responsibility.

Marinette: He's his own responsibility.

Even as Adrien was reading another message popped up.

Marinette: How are you doing?

Adrien paused. His mind went into a now familiar freeze at the question; so simple and so full of expectations. Then he realized something was different. Something was missing. The tension across his shoulders and apprehension on his tongue. It was something he'd grown so accustomed to he'd anticipated it this time and had to physically register the lack. There was still emotion wrapped up in the question, but it didn't grip him like a vice.

Adrien: Coping. I've found a project to keep me busy until I get another foundation grant set up somewhere. It's a historical renovation. How are you and Emma?

With each line there was that ghost-tension that feeling that this should be harder, that this *was* harder, and yet it wasn't. Sharing didn't feel like opening the door to... he still couldn't explain what it had been. He couldn't unknot his feelings, but right now it was absent. He dove into an hour-long text chain with Marinette, the kind of thing they hadn't done in ages. Emma's schooling, his plane ride over, a big project Marinette had for the winter show in New York, the advantages of different trees in an estate orchard. All sorts of stupid things, and he wasn't just listening, wasn't just waiting for the information dump to end. He was participating, and relaxing. When the time finally clicked and he sent a quick 'Need to go.' He was still… happy wasn't the word. Okay? Yes. He was okay.

"Wow."

"What wow? Where?" Chloé froze and dipped back into the back hallway, checking herself in the mirror there.

Adrien laughed from the floor where he was indulging Audrey in some tummy time. "Not a bad wow. I don't think I've actually seen you all done up before."

Chloé came back out, rolling her eyes as she walked to the end table, riffling through a small purse. "This is hardly done up. You mean in clothes fit to be seen? That's probably true. It's a deposition and I am not going to be filmed living like a hobo."

"Hey, I am a hobo these days. Nothing wrong with being a hobo."

She seemed satisfied with the contents of the purse and put it over her shoulder. The look she gave him was part exasperation, part endearment. "You're a philanthropist Adrien. You're supposed to be strange. It really is the only job that you were suited for."

Adrien laughed again, taking a longer look at his… What was Chloé now? Friend? Employer? She didn't pay him so not that. Friend seemed woefully inadequate for the help she'd been. Five of the last seven weeks had revolved around this little family unit, ever since that first knock on her door. He suddenly missed his daughter.

Chloé crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at him, hip canted to the side in that oh so familiar pose. Adrien realized he'd been staring. "Sorry," He looked away to shift a toy closer to one of Audrey's little hands. "You with your ponytail down is definitely different," he deflected.

Chloé reached back, catching hold of the gather-point at the nape of her neck and drawing out the entire straightened length of her hair to the side before letting it fall back into place. It reached down past her backside. "I'm there to swear up and down that everything is in order for the transfer. I've got to look the sweet demure business woman, and that means shrinking my silhouette."

Adrien glanced back, a cheeky grin on his face this time,"Demure?"

She huffed, then countered. "You'd be surprised what I can fake Agreste," with a smile of her own that had him feeling he had missed a joke. When he didn't react she threw up her hands and stepped around to crouch beside Audrey.

"You are just too pure Adrien. I think Audrey here might be more worldly than you soon." Chloé kissed two of her fingers and touched Audrey's cheek with them then reached across to muss Adrien's hair. "I'll be back in a few hours depending on how competent everyone else there is."

Adrien propped himself on one elbow and fended off the hair attack, "Will you be hungry?"

Chloé stood, shaking her head. "Probably not." She raised one hand curling the fingers into a be-clawed fist and grinned, "they're usually sensible enough to keep me well fed during these things."

Adrien grinned back,"See you soon then."

Chloé left and Adrien rolled back on his stomach, locking gazes with his little charge. "So, shall we begin again? Mo-mmy. Mo-mmy. Mo-mmy. You try it."

Two hours later and Adrien's phone buzzed.

Chloé: They are not competent. We have not even begun yet. The lawyers did not see fit to hash out the details before bringing me in to listen to them bicker. If this was still going to be my company I would fire them all.

While he was reading it another popped up.

Chloé:And don't you even think it!

Adrien grinned.

Adrien: Not even a little?

Chloé: You're the one person I can still fire!

Adrien: What would you do without me?

Chloé: Be miserable

That brought him up short. Was she still joking? It was only a couple months total time, but it was a lot of time spent directly together. They'd fallen right into domestic patterns. Would she really go back to that frazzled Chloé he had encountered his first night, keeping it together only on the surface? The image tugged at him uncomfortably.

Adrien: Bah, you'd be fine. I'm the freeloader without a home here.

Chloé: You've got two homes, don't ever think you have less.

Adrien let that one sit for a while. He fed and changed Audrey, fired off a 'How'd it go with Felix?' to Marinette, then opened the conversation back up.

Adrien: Thank you.

The sleek black cat stalked through the shadows, attentive eyes could follow his slow movements. Inch by inch the anticipation built. A pause, the green eyes narrowed then, attack!

The black cat leapt onto the stuffed bear and rolled, swatting it into the air. Batsypaws kept the plush victim airborn to the delighted giggles of the tiny audience.

Cat Noir sat up and leaned over, brushing tear stains from Audrey's cheeks. "There we go. Those sounds are much better." He wiggled his feline ears, turning them independently in feline fashion and elicited another coo of delight.

Cat Noir folded his gloved hands and rested his chin on them. "Cat Noir, babysitter extraordinaire, saving the world one giggle at a time."

Audrey lost the thread and little eyes just observed the new curiosity in her home. It had worked for Emma, and he was glad it worked again. He'd been shocked when Marinette had let him keep the ring again after so long, maybe some last ditch effort to rewind? That line of thought led to dark places so Adrien banished it from his mind and focused on the little lady before him.

He scooped Audrey up out of her bassinet, one hand carefully supporting her head and rocked her one time before spinning in place with her. A little smile cracked those lips at the sensations and he brought her back in for a snuggle,"Sorry leather isn't overly cuddleable."

Picking up the chirp of the electronic lock his, enhanced senses alerted him to Chloé's return; three hour trip, seven hours ago.

Cat Noir cradled little Audrey and turned to face his host. "Better late than never, right purrrty lady?"

A lot of things happened all at once. A visibly angry Chloé set eyes on Cat Noir. Cat Noir grinned in greeting. Chloé's expression went from anger to absolute shock. Cat Noir realized he'd made a terrible mistake. Chloé screamed, "You!" She lunged for Audrey. Audrey screamed. Chloé froze in realization and stark helpless terror.

"No, Chloé stop don't-"

"I didn't do it! I haven't done anything! She's just a baby! Don't hurt her! I'll go with you!" Chloé's word tumbled over each other, her voice rose and Audrey's agitation rose with it. Cat Noir reached out a hand to try to calm Choe but she fell to her knees as soon as he opened his mouth. "I'll go with you, I surrender, I surrender, just don't hurt her pleeaase." Chloé held out her hands, wrists together, her face a mask of abject fear.

"God- Plagg, Claws in!" Adrien closed the distance in a step, pressing Audrey into Chloé's outstretched hands and hugging both of them. "Chloé, Chloé it's me. It's Adrien. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

She didn't even seem to register him for a long moment. "Adrien?" was the only word out of her mouth at first. She rocked Audrey down from tears to fussing to calm before even uncurling enough to look up at him. "I- don't understand."

Adrien guided her up, she was still in literal shock. Under her makeup her skin was pale and her eyes weren't even focusing on him. "I'll explain, then you can hit me; square in the nose. Have you eaten recently?"

She shook her head slowly in bewilderment, taking a half step towards the bassinet then turning back in confusion. "I- wha- no. Why- Why would I hit you?" her eyes widened as the misfiring synapses finally lined themselves up. Her eyes focused and went wide. "You're Cat Noir!"

Adrien rubbed the back of his head,"yeah, umm, surprise? Can I at least make an attempt to explain before you kick me out? Maybe bring Audrey into the kitchen and I'll make you something to eat."

Adrien considered he might actually be lucky Chloé was so cooked by the revelation. She went into a bit of autopilot following his suggestions. He dashed into the kitchen, hunting up something quick. Apples, hummus, focaccia bread, he could work with this.

A cranky small voice rattled in his ear, "Great job kid. I mean, I get that babies are kinda cute when they can't slobber on you, but how could you forget?"

"The reveal? It was everyone."

"Not everyone, kid."

"Yeah, I remember NOW. I thought it would just be a fun surprise."

"Well, you were half right."

"Plagg unless you want to pick up a knife and peel apple slices, hush."

"Testy testy. You drag me all the way up from your safe cheese laden apartment just pick on me?"

"Plagg, I don't want to screw this up."

" 'This' kid? What 'this' are you talking about?" Plagg floated around into view.

"I-" Adrien glanced to the living room, Chloé was just picking up the bassinet now. "Plagg, just hide for now, please. I'll pick up two Camenbert wheels tomorrow."

Plagg followed Adrien's gaze. "You drive a hard bargain. I'll try, but this might be too good to pass up." the black Kwami dropped from sight into one of the kitchen drawers.

Chloé brought Audrey in and arranged the bassinet so that her daughter was facing her as she sat on one of the island stools. Audrey was contenting herself trying to maneuver a Wubbanub froggie-bink into her mouth. Adrien was still peeling when Chloé's voice reached him, sounding steadier but still very small. "You're Cat Noir."

Adrien set down the knife. "Yeah. I am, or was. I guess I still am. It's been a while though." He turned around with the hummus and bread on a plate and brought it over. "I'm sorry. It'll sound stupid now, but, I thought you knew."

"Knew?" she asked incredulously. Adrien took it as a good sign when she picked up a piece of the bread, but Chloé just proceeded to tear small bits off of it without eating. Her hands were still shaking.

Adrien half-truend to go back for the apple, but gave up on it. He sat opposite Chloé and put his hands on the counter. "Everyone knew at the end. There was one last reveal, everyone who was a miraculous holder. It was Ladybug's decision as Guardian, no more secrets." Adrien paused at a memory. "They'd already cost us too much."

Chloé dropped her eyes to Audrey, then hesitantly picked up one of her bread crumbs and prodded the hummus with it. "I wasn't there."

Adrien shook his head. "You'd already left. I- I'd like to think Ladybug would have invited you to the reveal if you were still in Paris. A lot changed." Memories swept back in, things not so much repressed as left to fade so that better memories could take their place. Adrien raised his eyes and waited until Chloé looked up in the silence so he could hold her gaze. "When you were Queen Bee, she was following someone else's rules. In time she learned to follow her own, and we were all the better for it. We were kids Chloé; kids saving Paris because no one else could."

There was still none of the anger he'd been expecting. He wasn't dodging thrown objects, or being fenced at with mugs. Chloé brought her first bite up to her mouth. "I was a kid too." she whispered.

Adrien's reply was a whisper too. "I wish you'd stayed."

She snorted. Dipping and consuming another crumb. "What, and watch you and Marinette make out?" She paused while reaching for the third, "Wait, you were always sniffing around Ladybug. How did that all go wrong?"

Adrien suddenly found the ceiling very interesting. He cleared his throat,"Well, Marinette and I-"

"Wait, no." He looked back down and Chloé's eyes were wide as saucers. "Don't tell me that little blue baker klutz who couldn't stitch two words together around you was your buglove?"

Adrien hesitated, then gave up the impossible fight. "I could, not tell you? Would that help?"

Chloé slapped the countertop, startling Audrey. The reaction interrupted her rage but after a reassuring smile to the infant Chloé hissed around the countertop. "How does someone like her get you AND Ladybug?"

Adrien's reply was cut off by a scratchy protest. "I'll tell you how. She's sweet, and smart, and has a good heart. Twelve years later and you're still badmouthing her! It's no wonder she chose yo-"

"PLAGG!" Adrien dove off his chair to catch the hovering Kwami. His hands went right through but he at least interrupted his companion's flow. THAT was another bombshell that did not need to be delivered right now.

The verbal assault startled Chloé, but she shifted moods visibly. Her chin lifted and she narrowed her eyes. "What's this? I thought it was the cat miraculous, not a rat."

"Who you callin' a rat, has-BEE-n?"

"You, soot ball." She turned her gaze back to Adrien only briefly before snapping her eyes back to Plagg. "Here I always thought Adrien was the one who liked cheeses. He was feeding you all the time wasn't he, you malnourished mouse?"

She was fifteen again. Body language, posture, even the tenor of her voice. Plagg wasn't helping matters. "Once a brat always a brat it seems. Cheese is appreciated by fine individuals of character no matter who they are. Didn't Vesperia like cheese Adrien?"

Adrien had his face in his hands. Chloé leaned across to snatch at Plagg. "Come here you little beast, I'll make ratatouille out of you. I bought a whole cupboard of different cheeses for Adrien as soon as he arrived and I wondered why he hadn't touched it!" Chloé pointed accusingly at a cupboard Adrien had honestly never opened in his time here.

"A whole cupboard?" Plagg's indignation evaporated. He turned and zipped for the promised land. "If there's Camenbert in there I take everything back!"

Adrien sighed and gestured at the cabinet now too. "So, that's Plagg."

Chloé hmphed after the vanished Kwami. "Pollen was better."

Adrien had one thing to thank Plagg for, he'd pulled Chloé right out of her mood. He had one thing to curse Plagg for too, he'd put Chloé right into this mood. "Now you know my, I guess, big secret? I've barely worn the ring in the last decade. I've just been me, Adrien Agreste. No supervillains to fight."

Chloé seemed to reset and she returned to her seat. A momentary check down at Audrey who seemed on the verge of sleep. "You make a bottle." Chloé directed him,"As Cat Noir or Adrien Agreste, I don't care which." Chloé picked up another bread piece and chewed thoughtfully.

There was more to say, but making the bottle gave him time to collect his thoughts. As he worked Chloé spoke to his back. "How did it feel to you, finding out?"

There could only be one person she was talking about. Adrien thought as he microwaved the water for the formula. "It was a shock." he laughed at his own understatement. "It was a relief in a way too." He shook the formula and water together in the bottle. "I'd already fallen in love with Marinette by that point, I knew it. I still loved Ladybug too. I was going to have to choose." he turned around and saw that Chloé was watching him intently, her expression hard to read. "I had struggled over that choice for so long. I knew with things ending I had to go one way or the other, I couldn't hold off in indecision any longer. Then, poof."

Adrien walked over and crouched down. Chloé touched his back and scooped Audrey up herself, taking the bottle from him. She settled back down, using the counter to support her arm as she fed her baby.

Adrien took her silence as a cue and tried to think of what more he could say. "In that red glow there was no more decision to make. They were the same person, and everything after just fell into place."

Chloé was looking down at Audrey but her soft words still reached Adrien's ears clearly. "You married Marinette because you didn't have a choice."

Adrien's reply came quick and cutting. "I married Marinette because I love her."

"You loved Ladybug too, before you knew who she was. You never got a chance to marry her."

The initial anger wore off, but Adrien still protested. "I was going to pick Marinette."

Chloé looked up and those sapphires watched him. "But you never got a chance to."

Adrien bit off his reply. What was she getting at? "Why are we back on me again?"

"Because Adrien." her voice was soft, but there was an undercurrent. "That's why you're here."

Adrien sat in silence on that one. Trying to piece together the too many meanings such a simple statement could have. He reached out and stole a piece of bread from Chloé's plate. "It's," he mumbled, "not the only reason."

Chloé shifted Audrey up for a burping. Adrien stood, grabbed the hanging burp cloth and passed it over without really thinking about it. Chloé gently tapped Audrey's back. "Don't give a girl false hope, that's not very heroic of you." she smirked. Before he could reply she added. "My daughter and I are both exhausted. We're going to nap. You may stay as long as you like provided you do not shed on anything. I may be up for a late dinner of take out after the nap, we'll see. Okay?"

Another barrage of words. From falling apart to taking charge, and Adrien couldn't rightly connect the dots in between. He smiled. "Allright Chloé. Dinner sounds nice. Maybe by then I will know what to say."

She kept that smirking smile as she stood. She reached up to pat his cheek. Without thinking he caught her wrist and repeated. "It really isn't the only reason."

Chloé covered a mild panic reaction by rolling her eyes,"Sure Agreste." but there was no fight in her tone. She pulled and he let go. Chloé retreated back to her bedroom, and Adrien was left to wonder just where that had come from.