(A/N) Hey there
First off this chapter was meant to be in two parts but I ended up putting it all together since it's the last Adrien chapter I'm planning to do!
Bethany's true colours will be coming out this chapter as well, she's not as innocent as I've made her.
I written this chapter way before risk was aired so Nathalie having Gabriel's ring was a funny coincidence lol (I put it in this chapter 3 weeks ago lol)
P.S. This chapter has a roller-coaster of emotions. Just a little warning, nothing too bad but I made Adrien not like his father because let's face it, he's horrible.
Anyways enjoy...
Adrien's house had greeted many people but always by the face and voice of Gabriel Agreste. This time however they were now greeted by him, the son who hardly spoke a word in the presence of guest.
It felt strange hearing people feel sorry for him, greeting him and telling him how his father was a great man, someone set out to change the world.
All lies.
The person behind the mask wanted to Cataclysm the house to the ground if he heard one more person spew crap about his father, but knew that wouldn't do any good if he did.
He felt soft fingers weave into his hand and hold it tightly, reassuring him that she was by his side in all this and everything was going to be okay.
He looked to his side, Marinette giving him a warm smile and resting her head on his shoulder, it was only when she spoke to greet the next set of people did it click that he was just seeing things.
"So glad you came." Bethany greeted, pulling away from Adrien to hug the two guest that walked in. He glanced over, seeing Luka and Marinette be squished in an awkward hug from Bethany. "I know you've been so busy working on my dress but this means the world to us."
Bethany looked to Adrien, waiting for him to greet them but he just stood there, staring at their conjoint hands and the bracelet he gave her jingling above on her wrist.
"Your stairs are torcher Sunshine! Have you thought of investing in an elevator?" Alya broke his eye contact, looking at her hand on her small but noticeable bump.
"Oh, you made it as well! I'm so glad!" Bethany Chirped, pouncing on Alya in surprise. "Adrien needs all the support he can get." She pulled away from the hug and looked down at her belly. "Pregnant?" She asked cautiously, afraid she over stepped a line.
"Twins!" Alya replied, rubbing her belly.
"Twins!" Bethany replied back, looking at Adrien with her lips pursed and an eyebrow raised. "Adrien didn't mention anything."
"When does he ever?" Marinette quietly added, her hand being squeezed hard at the comment. "Ouch!" She hissed.
"I'm only 11 weeks." Alya broke the eyes looking at her friend, knowing exactly what she meant by that. "Waiting for the big one two to announce it to the world." She chuckled awkwardly.
Bethany looked back at Alya and huffed a smile, anger clearly showing in her tone. "Well congratulations, that's fantastic news!" Clamping her hands together she glanced back at Marinette. "You guys enjoy, I look forward catching up with you later."
The four friends walked away, Marinette the only one that glaced back at the two arguing near the front door as they disappeared into the hall.
"You sure you want to do this?" Luka asked, his hand still holding hers as they weaved through the crowd of Business men and women. "We can back out." He gave her the option.
Marinette shook her head, grabbing a drink off the waiter on her way through. "No. I'm okay." She explained. "I'm here for a friend, not the people we turned into."
They stopped in the corner of the room, the space feeling a little more open. At least here no one was stepping on your toes.
"Then you win." He smiled at her and clanked her glass with his.
Waiting by herself with almost an empty glass of champagne in her hands, Marinette stood on her tipping toes to look through the crowd, seeing if she could spot Luka coming back from the bathroom.
All she saw were drinks, platters being served around and unfamiliar faces filling up the room. Marinette wondered how many of these people Adrien actually knew since all her time sneaking into these fancy parties as a teenager she never really saw any of them.
"Bit overwhelming, isn't it?" Bethany Chirped beside her, making Marinette jump slightly.
"Yeah, I guess." The bluenette replied, unsure of what she really meant, the grip on her glass tighten in her presence.
She took a sip of her beverage, letting the silence grace them, while the guest moved around the room and chattered heavily to one another.
"Most of these people are buyers, ready to snatch up Gabriel." She explained.
Now Marinette knew why she hadn't seen any of these people before.
"I won't let them though." She side eyed her before opening her mouth again. "Mother already has big plans for the place." Bethany muttered behind her drink. "It would be less stress on Adrien playing it this way."
"Hes okay with this?" She asked, an eyebrow raised at her plan.
"He's got enough to deal with right now." Bethany replied. "Besides, this way he gets to stay in Paris, he can still work as a model and I'm finally in charge of a company under my mother's name."
Marinette sipped on her drink awkwardly, not knowing how to respond to the plan Bethany had set out for Adrien, nor did she really give a damn about their perfect life together anymore.
"Oh, that reminds me." She beamed and grabbed onto Marinette's arm, scaring her half to death again. "I need one tiny favour." She asked in a small squeaky voice.
Her eyes were wide at the sudden question but she answered her calmly. "Sure."
How could Marinette really say no?
"Well since my maid of honour ditched me... the bitch!" She mumbled. "I have no one I really trust to replace her and I thought you could, since you're organised and already designing my dress." She rambled off.
Marinette's head started swirling unsteadily, not knowing if it was the drink she had or the fact that again she was being asked to do another favour for the blonde.
"...Its perfect since you're best friends with Adrien. I wouldn't trust anyone more with this." Bethany explained.
Marinette was the last person she would trust if she knew what she'd been up to while she was away in Milan all that time.
"I-I don't know..." The bluenette turned slightly away, placing her empty drink on the table beside her.
"Please!" The blonde begged. "I'm sure Adrien would want you to share a big part of this special moment since you two are so close."
Too close.
Marinette looked blankly at her but her mind ran a million miles per second. "Why not!" She gave in and Bethany cheered.
"Great! I'll send you all the arrangements and I'll need your size. Although you look the exact same size as my old maid of honour we will just have to hem the dress." The blonde rambled, the conversation going through one ear and out the other.
Where was Luka when she needed him?
Wait, did she just call me short? Marinette just realised.
Zoning out on the conversations around him, Adrien had spotted a familiar face weaving through the crowd of people. Luka's black leather jacket and white taddy shirt stood out over the well dressed crowd.
Excusing himself from the business associates that surrounded him in conversation, he followed the man through the crowd of people and out the door into the foyer.
He studied him, watching as he looked around the room for something. "What are you looking for?" Adrien broke the silence, startling Luka to turn and look in his direction.
"Bathroom?" The musician asked.
"Up the stairs to your right." Adrien answered, watching as he began walking up the steps. "Marinette seems a lot happier." He commented, moving slowly towards the bottom of the steps, making Luka stop halfway up the stairs. "You two look great together."
The musician laughed and shook his head in disbelief. "We both know I'm only here to pick up the pieces Adrien!" He stated matter of factly, pacing slowly back down the steps.
"Pieces?" The blonde repeated, his eyebrow raised in question and his body still as Luka Approached him.
"Look Adrien, I don't have a problem with you, nor do I care what has happened but Marinette deserves better than this, she deserves love and someone to care for her." He explained, paining Adrien's heart just a little.
"I don't know what you are talking about!" He muttered in reply. The gaze Adrien held on him faltering to the open front door, watching as the rain cried over Paris.
The weather had been fine a few hours ago.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" Luka fired back, pointing at him in annoyance.
"W-whats going on?"
The door clicked shut behind her and Adrien swallowed hard. Luka looked towards the bluenette standing awkwardly a few metres behind the blonde, only hearing part of the conversation that went down.
"Nothing." The musician replied and glanced back at Adrien. "I was just asking where the bathrooms were."
Eyeing him for a moment, he spoke. "Up the stairs to your right." Adrien repeated, taking a shaky breathe when the musician got out of his personal space.
Once he had disappeared Adrien turned around to face Marinette, seeing her for the first time properly after all that has happened. It was awkward silence at first, both unsure how to start the conversation.
"You told him?" He questioned, annoyed she had shared their moments to Luka.
"No!" Marinette shook her head. "He guessed." She told him truthfully.
Walking past him to leave he stopped her, grabbing onto her arm. "Marinette!" She looked at him, her eyes at the brink of tearing up. "What's really going on with you two?" He asked.
"That's none of your business Adrien." She pulled out of his grip and continued. "You have no right to question anything!" She seeped angrily.
As she went to walk away again he called out to her. "Marinette."
Turning around and slowly walking back towards the front door. "You never going to leave her, are you?" She asked, stopping shortly.
"I-I..." He muttered. "I can't" He cried, the pain of rejecting her hitting him hard.
Scoffing and rolling her eyes she replied. "That's what I thought." She took off the bracelet he gave her and placed it on Nathalie's desk. "She deserves so much better... So do I!"
"Marinette." He called for her again but she didn't turn back, instead ended up walking out into the down pour of rain.
Taking a hesitated step, her high heels were almost slipping down the stairs, bangs covering her eyes but the rain did no help to see where she was going. She could feel her dress sticking to her skin, rubbing uncomfortably with every movement she made.
This is why Marinette never wore high heels when she went out. They never made a difference in how she looked nor did they suit her clumsy state.
Making it to the open gate she halted, holding her mouth as tears and rain drops ran down her cheeks. Rain was the reason she fell in love with him and now, rain was tearing them apart.
Luka graced her with his jacket, hoping it would shield her from the some of the rain as they made their way towards the subway. He knew better than to question her what was said, instead comforting her and let her emotions come out naturally.
The clock ticking was echoing in the office, the chair squeaked when it swivled slightly from side to side.
The next thing was the purring of his kwami, sleeping on the table, tucked inside the Camembert wrapper away from the sight of anyone who would pass by; but Adrien knew he was there.
Silence was never something he'd really heard before. There was always some sort of sound going on around him.
Especially now.
A knock sounded on the door before it clicked open, making Adrien sit up straight out of old habits. "Nathalie." He coughed and called her in.
"Sorry I didn't mean to intrude, I was just grabbing some files and..." She rambled, rushing towards the filing cabinet, grabbing what she needed out.
The blonde slouched back down and started rolling his pen across the table, other hand supporting his weight and resting on his cheek. "You don't have to ask permission. You're family Nathalie." He told her with a soft tone. "I trust you."
Her heart shattered a little with that statement. She didn't deserve his trust, not when Grabiel and her had kept so many secret away from him for all these years.
Giving him a warm smile she asked. "I was going to ask how you were."
"Fine." He mumbled, not bothering to take his focus off his pen.
She didn't buy it for one second.
"A piece of advice?" She sat opposite him and placed down the files she had in her hand, hearing a little hum for her to continue. "Don't be your father."
Adrien looked up at her and raised his eyebrow in confusion.
"He was so invested in having everything perfect that he forgot what its like to be and feel loved by someone." Nathalie told him truthfully, leaning over to grip his hand tightly.
"I don't know what I'm suppose to do." He explained, the break in his voice made her heart plummet to the floor.
That fear was always running in the back of his head.
"You love her don't you?" She asked, the obvious being plain in sight but she wanted to hear it from him.
He knew instantly she meant Marinette. "More than words can describe."
"Than why haven't you done anything about it?" She questioned, pulling away from his hand and leaning back into her chair.
The ring he had left her to take care of when she'd left the hospital hugged her finger; twirling around as she thought on her decision while she waited for an answer.
Adrien's eyes caught sight of the shiny jewellery he'd always seen his father wear, before veering his eyes away from her. "I wasn't meant to fall in love with Marinette." He spoke softly. "It was a mistake." He sighed and pushed back into his chair.
"A mistake that made you happy." Nathalie eyed him and he gave her a small smirk from under his bangs.
Grabbing the pile of files, Nathalie got up out of her seat and walked to the door, contemplating on her thoughts again. Gabriel made a lot of mistakes and here Adrien was blaming himself that he wasn't as perfect as his father.
Before leaving she turned to him and said. "I need to show you something."
He looked at her and nodded, following her down the stairs and into the room where his father use to spend all his time while he was young. Pausing once he got inside, his eyes followed Nathalie walking over to his mother's picture, opening it to reveal the safe behind it.
Once she had gotten what she needed she shut it behind her, turning towards Adrien with a weak smile. "Your mother was so beautiful and kind." She told him. "You got so much of her inside of you."
Adrien's confuse state soften. "Yeah she was." He agreed, rubbing his nape bashfully. "I miss her every single day." He looked towards her picture on the wall with a sadden smile.
Nathalie was now standing right in front of him, her smile dropping. "I understood how much you missed her, only wishing you could see her one last time." Adrien nodded, and small tear falling down his cheek at the mention of her.
She matched his sadness, gripping tightly onto the items she had in her hands. "Well it's still possible." She explained, revealing the two miraculous in her palm.
Adrien gasped and looked to her in disbelief. "No!" He cried. "No, No, No!" His voice only getting louder. "This can't be true, I..."
He grabbed the strands of his hair, taking a couple of steps back and turned away. The realisation hitting him that Shadowmoth had been living with him all this time. That his father was exactly the heartless man he knew!
How much more did he want to ruin his life, even from beyond the grave?
"I cant believe he's been under this God damn roof this whole God damn time!" He yelled louder, punching the first mannequin he saw and smashing it to pieces.
"Adrien, I can explain." Nathalie said with worry, trying to calm him down but once her hand went to his shoulder he pulled away from her grip with a hiss.
"How could you... I don't understand how you could back him up after all that he's..." Adrien cried, stepping back away from her again. "Oh God."
The realisation hit him harder than ever, he should of seen this before. Nathalie was freaking Mayura. All that time he fought her and she defended his father.
"Adrien I'm not proud of what happened all those years ago. I hated having to see you suffer through akuma attacks." Nathalie explained. "I'm not giving you these jewels to take your fathers place." She closed her eyes taking a deep breath to calm herself before she bursted out in tears like he was currently. "I'm hoping you could get them to a safe place, back to the guardian."
Adrien let out a sarcastic chuckle, turning her way again. "How do you think I can do that?" He asked with a dark tone.
He knew he could but she didn't know that.
Nathalie held out the jewels for him to take again, watching as his eyes studied them for a moment. "I'm not sure." She told him truthfully. "But I know you would do the right thing."
Her hand was still outstretched, waiting for him to grab them. He hesitated, but the look in Nathalie's eyes showed extreme regret and sorrow. It would eat him alive if he didn't take this opportunity to get what him and Ladybug had been searching for almost 10 years.
Grabbing them out of her hand, Adrien didn't say a word nor look at Nathalie's facial expression afterwards. He was not in the right mind state if anything came out of his mouth at that moment.
"You should also have this!" Pulling off Gabriel's ring she went to hand it to him, only for her hand to be pushed back towards her.
"You keep it." Adrien told her, knowing it's the only piece of Gabriel she would really have left. "It means more to you than to me!"
It was the truth of it, especially after everything he had found out. How could anything be worse than finding out his own father was the man who was terrorising Paris?
Silence filled the air for a short moment before Nathalie asked. "If you're okay, I would like to show you something else." She gestured towards the painting as his eyes looked up but his head did not.
Taking a deep breath, Adrien took a step forward. "Okay." He nodded and followed her down into the basement he had no idea even existed.
Walking down the long bridge the lights began to turn on slowly, reaching all the way to the end where a patch of green was surrounding a coffin. His heart stopped as the doors opened up, revealing a blonde beauty that hadn't aged since he last saw her; sleeping peacefully inside.
"Mother." He gasped and cried, collapsing to the ground in front of her.
Nathalie came behind him, holding him close as he finally let out the emotions he hadn't showed in days. "Shhh..." She hushed.
"All this time, s-she had been underneath me." The blonde cried. "All this time." He repeated.
"Again, I'm so sorry Adrien." She explained rubbing his arm in comfort.
They held each other in silence, the sound of his sobs were the only thing echoing around them. He didn't bother pulling away from Nathalie's comforting touch this time, instead finally let out the emotions he'd been wanting to let out since losing both parents.
Adrien finally was at peace.
(A/N) 3350 Words
Coming up next...
• "Girl has anything ever gotten past me?"
• "It would only cause more pain and I don't want him chasing after me If he found out."
• "If you believe for a second Adrien has chosen this for himself, then you really don't know him as well as you think!"
• "Its a good deal and that way your name will be noticed."
• "A pleasure doing business with you Miss Dupain-Cheng."
Shaz Out...
