Chapter 23

Nathalie woke up in her apartment. Sunlight streamed through the window. She thought about going back to sleep, but then she remembered that she couldn't. It was a very important day: her wedding day.

When she got up, she looked out the window of her apartment. This would be the last time she would be there. Almost all of her belongings had already been sent to the mansion, except for that mirror, her bed and the wardrobe that only contained the wedding dress inside a garment bag that the Gorilla had brought the day before.

She looked around the room. She felt a certain nostalgia for leaving that place. She lived there for many years, because of her work.

Nathalie looked at herself in the mirror. She was a different person now.

She took a shower and wore the purple robe that Gabriel gave her, she saw the time and it was 30 minutes before they came to fix her for the wedding. She made a light breakfast of chopped fruit and some granola. The makeup artists and hairstylists arrived shortly after she finished cleaning the dishes to get her prepared before the wedding, per Gabriel's orders.

She had her nails filed and painted in a natural color. They painted her lips on a red tone, put a touch of blush on her pale cheeks to highlight them and applied eyeliner to her eyes, they also made the hairstyle that she would wear at the wedding. Her hair was in a updo.

Marinette also came over to assist with the fitting of her dress and to make a couple of last-minute arrangements. She brought her veil and the bouquet of flowers that would go with it. The bouquet was composed of some red roses, like her hair streak. Unlike her, Marinette was ready. She wore pink heels with a ribbon on top of them and a pink dress with white dots, combined with a black belt as well as the lace trim on the skirt of the dress. Her hair was loose and decorated with a flower on one side. She applied a light makeup appropriate to her age, with a pink lipstick and her eyelids with the same color. In her hands was a box, which Nathalie assumed, was to store the veil.

"Hi Nathalie. Adrien is with his father, because he is helping him get ready. He will come here to accompany us to the Mairie" Marinette said as she left her things on the table "Now I need you to put on your dress."

Marinette helped her put on the dress, closing the zipper behind it. The way the dress molded to her body and fell free to the ground, with a long train was really beautiful. The veil was not far behind, it was quite long and it was all connected to a golden tiara with diamonds embedded in it. She wondered where her future husband had gotten the idea. She wore plain, ivory white heels. From her shoulders to her arms were completely covered in lace, her sleeves so long they reached her wrist. Also, she had a slit that showed part of her neck.

Adrien arrived an hour later, dressed in a blue suit. When he saw Nathalie, he was amazed.

"You look very beautiful, Nathalie. Father will love you."

She put her hands on his shoulders.

"I think he's fascinated by me enough, Adrien" Nathalie replied sweetly and with some grace. Marinette handed her a small box containing Emilie's sapphire earrings. Amelie had lent them to her for the wedding day. It was like a gesture of peace. Amelie didn't lend family jewelry to anyone.

After putting on the earrings, Nathalie saw that Adrien was trying to put on his tie.

"I can't put it on right, it looks like the one getting married is me" Adrien said jokingly.

The woman walked over to him and tied his tie.

"Always so competent, aren't you Nathalie?"

Marinette smiling at what she had just seen, took the chair and brought it closer.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I need to put the veil on you."

Marinette climbed on the chair and placed the crown that held the veil on her, removing the wrinkles that formed in the fabric when she moved it. But just when she was going to get down from the chair, she lost her balance and thought she would fall, when two arms held her.

"Careful" Adrien held her in his arms with some force so she wouldn't fall. He helped her down from the chair without hurting her.

"Thank you, Adrien."

Nathalie was ready to get down from her apartment. Luckily the elevator was empty so there was plenty of room to handle her dress. Marinette scooped up the tail as they headed out to the car and Adrien held the door for them as they exited the apartment complex.

What surprised her was that instead of the classic car in which they always traveled, in its place there was a white limousine where everyone would enter without problems.

The bodyguard was driving, and he was dressed in a formal suit, just right for the occasion. He greeted her with a gesture. Marinette helped her sit inside the limousine they rented, also passing her the bouquet. The bodyguard waited for Marinette and Adrien to come up as well.

"Let's go to town hall" Adrien exclaimed.

They would go to make their marriage official first at the Mairie and then have a small ceremony.

Nathalie watched the people and buildings go by. She remembered when she was a little girl and dreamed of finding her better half. Although that dream faded over the years and she had thought that those things were not for her, now she thought that anything she dreamed of was possible.

They soon reached the mayor's office. The bodyguard pulled the car onto the sidewalk. He opened Adrien's door and Adrien opened the back doors so Nathalie could get out. She felt her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She was nervous, but that wasn't going to make her hesitate.

Gabriel was waiting for them right at the entrance, using a black suit with a red tie. He extended her hand to her, who gladly took it, and on which he planted a kiss when she was at his side.

"You look lovely, Ma Cherie."

They entered the Mairie. Gabriel extended his arm for her to take. Gabriel apparently noticed her nervousness and linked her hand with his. They arrived at the office where they were summoned and entered. Mayor Bourgeois was already waiting for them.

"Good morning Gabriel, good morning Miss Sancoeur" Andre welcomed them "Did you bring your witnesses?"

Marinette and Adrien stepped forward. The ceremony could begin.

Marinette and Adrien took a seat behind Gabriel and Nathalie who sat together in the front. Andre gave the routine speech and then gave the word for the future husband and wife to say their vows. They both got up and Gabriel started first.

"Nathalie, you have always been there for us since that time I hired you. You did more than any of my workers would have done. You took care of my son, my former wife and you took care of me without expecting anything in return. In our worst moments, you were there too. You are the catalyst of our lives. Without you we would be lost. I Gabriel Agreste swear to take care of you in health and in sickness, in good times and in bad. I will always be there. Until death do us part."

Nathalie put a hand to her chest, moved by the speech. Then she took a deep breath and prepared to recite hers.

"I, Nathalie Sancoeur, swear to love you through the good and the bad. Because from the first day I swore that I would protect you and help you in everything you needed. You are the man of my life, the second man who knew how to comfort me in my bad times after my father. I also love your son Adrien, as if he were mine. I couldn't have asked for a better family to be a part of. I swear to take care of you in any good or bad circumstance in sickness and health. Until death do us part."

Andre gave them the sign that they could exchange rings. When they did, the mayor asked them the question.

"Gabriel Agreste, do you accept Nathalie Sancoeur as your lawful wife?"

Gabriel with very loving eyes saw Nathalie.

"I do."

"And you, Nathalie, do you accept Gabriel Agreste as your legitimate husband?"

Nathalie with very bright eyes and a beautiful smile looked at Gabriel.

"I do."

Andre handed them the document that made their marriage official. They signed the paper, as Adrien and Marinette signed as their witnesses. Andre checked it to verify that everything was in order.

"By the power vested in me by the state I now pronounce you husband and wife."

And Gabriel gently taking her chin gave her a kiss. That kiss was one of much love and affection. They were married now and Nathalie was the new Mrs. Agreste.

Nathalie and Gabriel headed out the door to head to their party venue, with the two kids right behind them.

The newly married couple got into the limousine that would take them to the place they rented for the event. The two boys got into the limo as well. They would go to a place they rented for the day a little far from Paris.

Gabriel opened the bottle of champagne for himself and Nathalie, and they opened a non-alcoholic one for Adrien and Marinette. Before leaving the city, there was a place that Nathalie wanted to go...

The gorilla drove for a few minutes until he reached the place he was told: The city's cemetery. Gabriel helped Nathalie down and they went first to Emilie's grave. There Adrien put the rose that decorated his suit and Gabriel also did the same.

They then headed to the tomb that Nathalie was looking at with crystal eyes. It was the grave of her father.

"I finally made it, dad. I love you" she said as she placed her bouquet of flowers on the grave.

They all returned to the limo, which would take them to their destination. When they arrived, the guests were already accommodated in the few tables that were arranged for them. It was just a few friends from Adrien's school and people related to the Agreste family. All the tables had their glasses of Champagne ready.

When Nathalie arrived, she fixed Gabriel's jacket, which was a little wrinkled from the trip. They found their seats to start the celebration. It was 5 in the afternoon so it was the perfect time to make a toast.

They took the two glasses of the finest Champagne they could get their hands on and poured themselves some of that bubbly drink. They both got up and everyone took their drinks.

"A toast, to us" Gabriel exclaimed raising his glass, Nathalie raised hers to collide with his gently. She drank some of the content.

They all raised their glasses in unison and drank their contents.

After that, the newlyweds got up to perform their first dance as married couple. Gabriel stood up and offered her hand, accepting it gladly. They put on a soft song, for the first dance. He grabbed her waist pulling her closer to his body and took her hand.

She put her arm behind his back. They did not stop looking at each other throughout their dance. When the song was over, Adrien took the initiative and took Marinette's hand to dance with him. The other guests followed suit. They stayed like that for a while only to return to their seats. Adrien took the opportunity to draw everyone's attention with his glass.

"Hello, can I have a moment please?"

All the guests fell silent and turned to see towards the center of the garden of the house in which they were.

Gabriel took his wife´s hand as they looked at their son. He took out the paper sheet where he wrote everything he wanted to say to Nathalie.

"This is dedicated to Nathalie. Blood ties are not as important as the ties we form with the people we live with. Because, although it is said that there is only one mother, you show me that a mother's love can come from unexpected places. That there may be a second chance for a catalyst. I would like to thank my new mother for what she has done. Bring our family together again. You were there for me when I needed it the most. And it's time to return the favor. I always saw you as a second mother, and today I am deeply grateful for what you did for me and my father."

Nathalie's eyes filled with tears. She reached out to hug Adrien. She took him in her arms with affection, as his new son officially. One who was always with her, without thinking that they would build a very strong bond.

The photographer who was at the party came over and took a picture of that scene.

Gabriel took off her glasses so he could wipe her tears before they fell from his eyes and messed up her makeup.

"Thank you Adrien, my son."

Adrien stood on his tiptoe and she bent down a little to receive him. He gave her new mom a kiss on the cheek.

After that, everyone went back to their tables and dinner was brought, which consisted of a plate of Foie gras as a starter, for the main course they brought a medallion of roast beef with mushroom Morel and for dessert Crème Brulée. A variety of cheeses were also served at the table, causing Adrien to be forced to bring his Kwami to the table, who told him, well, rather, demanded to give him some.

At the end of dinner, Tom pushed a cart with a fairly large box on it, leaving it next to the table where they had the trays. He carefully pull the box out, revealing the couple's wedding cake. It was ivory white. It had patterns that resembled branches in a circular fashion that covered the cake, along with white and red flowers on the sides.

Gabriel and Nathalie went to split the cake. They took the knife, him with her hand on top of hers. They took several photos. She took the first piece and put it on the plate that Gabriel held with her other hand. They both took a small spoon. Nathalie was the first to take a small piece and bring it to Gabriel's mouth, who received it with pleasure and tasted it. He imitated her and gave her a taste of the cake.

They should give the Dupain-Cheng's credit for that cake. It was delicious, the combination of red velvet with coconut cream was simply delicious.

While eating cake Adrien went to look for his cousin since when he arrived, he couldn't greet him. He picked it out in the crowd. He noticed that his cousin was chatting with a girl about his own age dressed in a Cheongsam and that she was extremely familiar.

He walked over to them and Felix smiled a little when he saw Adrien.

"Hello Felix" Adrien hugged him "How are you? I see you bring company."

The girl extended her hand to shake his.

"I'm Bridgette. A pleasure. Felix has told me a lot about you. He's so lucky to have a cousin like you. My boyfriend is a bit serious, even so, he's so cute." The girl giggled as she said that.

"Felix, do you have a girlfriend?"

Felix hearing that blushed a little.

"Yeah, a few weeks ago, I just followed your advice to be more open to others."

"Bridgette?" Marinette approached when noticing someone very familiar from her maternal family "Bridgette, long time no see."

"Well, my parents were busy and they didn't gave me permission until today that I came to accompany Felix."

Both girls hugged each other and Marinette took her to her parents who were happy to see their niece after so long. Adrien found it all very peculiar. Nathalie and Gabriel approached Adrien when his cousin left.

"We're going to Rome and you're coming with us, Adrien" Gabriel said, looking at his son.

"You don't mind I go with you? It's your honeymoon" Adrien looked a little unsure of their decision.

Nathalie took Adrien's hands.

"Not at all. We would be very happy if you come with us, after all, we are family now. Also, I know you've never been on a real vacation."

Adrian hugged her.

"Yes, I'd love to."

A little after midnight most of the attendees had already left. Marinette was about to leave with her parents. Adrien was flirting with Marinette as she said goodbye to her. In addition to the fact that he had to give her Miraculous to her so that she could take care of it while he was gone.

"You always look beautiful."

"Adrien." Marinette was very flushed.

He took the ring off his finger and handed it to Marinette.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of him. Master Fu will see no problem, I had already told him a couple of days ago in case you decided to go on vacation. I'll go see him to make sure Plagg is okay."

"Can't I take my cheese?" Plagg asked pleadingly.

"I'll give you all the Camembert you want and many other cheeses, I have Camembert, Brie, Roquefort..." Marinette listed smiling, knowing that Plagg would like it very much.

"Ah, I already feel in paradise. It's the best choice you've ever made, kid." Plagg was enthralled with all the options he would have at his disposal.

"I promise I'll call you every day, Adrien." She gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

Marinette headed out of the house, when Gabriel Agreste's authoritative voice stopped her.

"Miss Marinette, wait a minute."

Marinette returned to where she was and saw that Mr. Agreste was accompanied by Nathalie.

"Before you leave, we want to thank you, Marinette. You gave us one last chance to change. And I know you make my son happy too. We owe you a lot" he said, looking at Nathalie.

"You don't have to thank me, Mr. Agreste. Everyone deserves a second chance. What counts is how you use that opportunity."

Gabriel held out his hand.

"Consider yourself part of the family. I hope we can work together in the future."

She shook his hand as a sign of peace. Natalie did the same. Marinette said goodbye to the family and left the event room to get on her parent's delivery truck. They then proceeded to get into the limo to go back to the mansion. The cleaning of the place was already paid for, so they would not have to worry about it.

When they got to the mansion, Adrien went to bed because he felt too tired. He wished them both goodnight, leaving them alone.

"Well, Mrs. Agreste" said Gabriel "What do you think if we retire to our room?"

"With pleasure, Mr. Agreste."

To her surprise Gabriel scooped her up in his arms and ran with her to her bedroom. He locked up, to spend the rest of the night with his beloved new wife Nathalie Agreste.

The next day in the early hours of the day, they packed their bags with everything they needed. They put the three suitcases in the trunk of the car and went directly to the private airport of Gabriel's. They would go on a two-week vacation to Rome in a cabin they rented for the same time.

They arrived at the airport and then went to the waiting room about two hours before, so the newlyweds bought a coffee, a strong black one for Gabriel and an espresso for Nathalie. They both allowed Adrien to have a vanilla-flavored cappuccino.

The flight would not be very long, approximately a little over an hour. Nathalie placed her hand on top of Gabriel's, drawing patterns on his knuckles, while they chatted with each other and Adrien just listened to some music on his phone with the settings that were allowed on the flight.

Upon arrival, they looked for the place where they rented the car and drove to the place where the cabin was located using the GPS. Upon arrival, Adrien was amazed. The cabin they rented was quite large, not as big as the mansion, but it was cozy. Besides that, it had direct access to the sea and it was a place with enough privacy.

They went to the beach behind the house. The waves lapped the shore calmly. Never in his life had Adrien traveled to such a beautiful place. They left their bags at the entrance. It was rustic but cozy. Adrien excitedly entered each of the rooms. It was a new experience for him.

He walked around the small room and noticed a fireplace with two armchairs in front of it. Outside there was a small table with a view of the sea, along with a few beach chairs. Inside the house, there was a flat screen TV, the bathroom had a small Jacuzzi and had a coastal theme. Same thing with the rooms. The kitchen was small but cozy, with wooden doors. The fridge was fully stocked for the two weeks they would stay there.

That first day they unpacked their things in their respective rooms, one for Adrien and the other double room for Gabriel and Nathalie. The beds were really comfortable, so they were well rested for the next day. They went for a walk around the area, enjoying the scenery. But the next day their plans were ruined when the sky darkened and started pouring rain outside. Adrien looked disappointedly out the window. The sea was restless. According to forecasts it would pass quickly. Adrien felt two hands on his shoulders.

"Don't worry, Adrien, we can have fun in here." Nathalie squeezed his shoulders a little.

While Gabriel checked the news, they went to the kitchen and she took out one of the groceries that were in the fridge and found some marshmallows and some candy. They lit the fireplace and with some wooden sticks they put the marshmallows on the fire.

"I've never seen this before" Adrien mentioned, very interested.

"It's an American custom. But I thought we could do it here in the fireplace."

They prepared some melted marshmallows and placed them on a plate to share among the three of them. They went to the sofa to watch a movie. Nathalie had her legs on top of Gabriel's and he had her head on top of hers right on her chin. Adrien moved to Gabriel's side and snuggled up next to him. That meant a breakthrough.

When the movie ended everyone was already asleep.

Gabriel woke up first, feeling a little sore in his neck, but nothing a hot bath couldn't fix.

As the weather stabilized, that day they would take a flight to the center of Rome to get to know the city for a whole day. The airport was not far from where they were staying, so they arrived without much difficulty.

They went to the Vatican City, to the Basilica of San Pedro and the Sistine Chapel to see the paintings and took the opportunity to see the Michelangelo. They walked through the cobbled streets of the place and went to the Trevi Fountain where they bought a gelato, famous in Italy. They also tried traditional pizza and then headed to the Roman Coliseum.

When they arrived to the cottage, Adrien went straight to sleep. Nathalie disappeared from the room. Gabriel searched all over the cottage. When he got to the back of the cabin, he felt his arm being grabbed as if it wanted him to get out of. It was her.

"What are you doing?" He felt her finger silence him.

"Come with me," she whispered in his ear. They went down the stairs to the beach. He saw that there was a towel lying on the sand. Next to her an umbrella and a bottle of wine in a bucket full of ice.

"What are you planning, my wife?" Gabriel questioned raising an eyebrow.

"Can't your wife surprise you, Mr. Agreste?" Nathalie replied coquettishly.

They both sat on the towel and Gabriel opened the bottle, and poured them both. They drank until the bottle was finished. She without thinking too much began to kiss her husband's neck slowly, and he just got carried away. She then went to kiss him on the lips, taking a compass with him. She hugged him around the neck and they both fell onto the towel and rolled on it.

Gabriel stopped for a moment and stood over her to look at her.

"Are you sure you want this, Nathalie?"

"Very sure, Gabriel.

They continued knowing that the only witnesses to their act would be the beach and the stars.

Gabriel and Nathalie returned to their room at dawn. They spent the next few days visiting nearby areas. One day that was particularly hot, Gabriel went into the bathroom to take a shower. When he came out of the bathroom, he leaned against the frame of the room, looking down at the bed.

Nathalie was asleep, lying on the bed in the room. And she was not alone, she hugged Adrien protectively, while he slept peacefully curled up next to her.

He watched them for a long time. Gabriel realized everything he had been missing. His son was no longer a child. He was slowly becoming an adult. And with it the important moments of his life were passing rather quickly. He gently stroked Adrien's golden hair. Gabriel decided that he would go to sleep in the bed Adrien used.

Adrien woke up a few hours later, when he was barely dawning. He watched as his father walked out of the cabin right out to sea, where he stood there, looking out at the horizon. He decided that this was the opportunity to talk to him again. He noticed that Nathalie was still asleep. He carefully wriggled out of her grasp, preventing her from waking up. He walked into the living room and from there headed for the exit. His father had moved closer to the sea, even letting the waves wash over his feet.

Adrien walked slowly up to him, feeling the texture of the sand on his feet.

"Father."

Gabriel was so intent on staring at the horizon that he hadn't even noticed when Adrien got behind him, jumping a little on the spot.

"I'm sorry," Adrien said. "I've been thinking about it for a while, and I know you've been doing the right thing. You are just as I remember you, when mom was still with us. I missed my father."

Gabriel felt some relief when he spoke to her so naturally.

"I forgive you, Father. But I don't think I can forget what happened."

Gabriel clasped his son in his arms.

"I don't expect you to, Adrien. I won't be able to forget it either and maybe this will haunt me all my life. But your forgiveness means a lot to me."

He felt good to hug his son, after so long. Nathalie who saw what was happening smiled at the scene. She walked over to them and joined her hug. When they parted, they went back to the house to get ready to catch the plane that would take them to Venice and go buy some things before their vacation time was up.

Adrien took advantage of the moment they landed in Venice to make a call to Marinette, since he hadn't spoken to her for a few days. At the same time, Nathalie and Gabriel sat down to wait for the transport that would take them to the heart of the city.

When Adrien ended the call, he sat next to them to wait. Arriving downtown, they passed through the commercial area. Adrien saw some very nice souvenirs in one of the stores so Gabriel gave him his credit card so he could buy them.

They had a great day riding the gondolas in Venice. Being their last days in Italy, they had to seize the opportunity to go to Naples and return to the cabin to spend a whole day at the beach. Adrien was a little sad that they had to go now, but Gabriel wanted to cheer him up and not make the same mistakes again.

"Adrien, I promise we'll go on vacation more often from now on" Gabriel assured him as they left for the airport to return to France. Now everything would be fine.

I'm so sorry for the delay. I didnt know this chapter was going to take so long. To compensate for the time, this chapter is longer than the other (around 4500 words). I must say that I had to do a lot of research for the whole subject of marriage in France (in which marriage must always be legalized first in the mayor's office regardless of religion or customs) and even everything regarding the honeymoon (choosing a place was hard)

and everything that had to do with the honeymoon.

At least now Gabenath is real in the fic at last XD.

I'm just missing the epilogue and this fic will reach it's end.