'Father - we must do something' Adrien seemed restless. 'The akuma - we must help - Ladybug needs me...'
'Ladybug is quite competent in choosing her allies' Gabriel leaned down to face Adrien on his eye level. 'I trust her to do the right thing.'
'But she was getting these dizzy spells - she's getting weaker - sure I didn't see it when she was in costume, but-'
'Wait, Adrien... you know Ladybug's identity?'
Adrien hesitated. He stepped back, leaning against his mother's shelter.
'I... I shouldn't tell you' he said. 'It is dangerous, after all' he said quietly. 'If you get akumatized... Shadow Moth will know it too.'
'You're right. I won't ask you' Gabriel nodded. Dizzy spells? Weakness? Is Ladybug's Miraculous damaged as well?, he thought. That would be most unfortunate. It wouldn't be good to use ultimate power with one of the sources broken. On the other hand, he could probably fix it, just like he fixed the Peacock.
'She's always doing the right thing, even if it feels heartless. For me, for you, for Chat Noir, for Paris... I really should apologize to her for what I told her as Chat last time... but... what can we do to help...?'
'Nothing. Stay put and not get in the way. Right now it's the only thing we can do to help Ladybug. As good citizens.'
Adrien sighed and sat down on grass. He had to admit it wasn't the worst place to be told to stay put. Surely Ladybug would defeat the akuma soon and then everything would be fine again, and he would have to wait some time later to check on her, not to let her know he was suspecting her...
He only hoped she wouldn't collapse in the middle of the fight.
Gabriel embraced him lightly, sitting next to him.
And then he froze as he heard a sound coming from Emilie's shelter.
They both stared at it and watched as it seemed to... dissolve.
Adrien backed off. Gabriel held him close.
'What's going on?' they both asked in unison. No one answered.
And when it dissolved fully, it was as if it was never there in first place.
As if what was never there in first place?, Adrien wondered. It slipped his memory just as it slipped reality.
And Emilie was standing there, and hugging them both, alive and fine, fully awake.
Like she always was, Gabriel thought.
And no one asked about Ladybug's identity.
Ladybug? There was a Ladybug?, Adrien thought, Did a new hero join the Butterfly and the Peacock?
And Paris didn't worry about any akumas.
What even is an akuma?, Marinette wondered.
And in a room upstairs, Nathalie smiled at the Rabbit Miraculous.
'Counterclockwise' she said and detransformed. 'Thank you for your help, Fluff.'
She looked at her bedside table and noticed the Peacock brooch. She picked it up. Duusu sprang out of it and greeted her.
'Miss Nathalie, you did it!' he chirped. 'I'm so happy - so happy it worked out in the end!'
Nathalie hugged the kwami.
Life was good.