Y'all - I am SO sorry for making you wait so long. My new job is basically full time so I've been struggling to find the time, and I've also had a bit of writer's block for this chapter. But I think I know where I'm going with the next chap, so stay tuned!

DISCLAIMER: no I am not Thomas Astruc or Jeremy Zag, thank u very much

Please enjoy!


It was official: Gabriel Agreste would spend the next forty-seven years in prison.

Adrien wasn't sure how to feel. He's happy that his father won't be able to hurt him or anyone else anymore (not including his fellow inmates — he wishes them luck), but he also just lost the only immediate family he had left.

He knew he didn't have the best father. Gabriel was neglectful, too dedicated to his work to spend time with his son, and when Adrien did manage to spend some time with him, he was merely scolded.

His father didn't… converse… with people. He merely instructed. So when his son wouldn't follow his orders and inevitably disappoint him, there was always a punishment. These punishments weren't the regular "take your phone away." They weren't "clean your room."

The punishments hurt.

Sometimes, Gabriel would banish him to his room for the rest of the week. He would not allow him to see his friends at school, or try any new poses at photoshoots. His father controlled every aspect of his life, and when he failed, he lost even more freedom — not that he had any in the first place.

And that lack of freedom, oddly enough, hurt more than the occasional punches. That lack of freedom hurt more than the kicks and the backhanded insults. The complete lack of freedom hurt more than when his father threw him down the stairs; when he took a belt to his back; not even when his father smashed his own wife's favorite vase across his head.

The physical abuse did hurt; he wouldn't lie. It hurt that someone who was supposed to never lay a hand on him in such a way had no problem doing so.

However, that lack of freedom killed any sense of dignity that he had within himself.

It had gotten to a point, before receiving his Miraculous, Adrien had forgotten who he really was inside. Having every part of your life controlled can really do that to you. Being Chat Noir helped him let loose and be who he wanted to be, without his father looming over his shoulder. It was refreshing, to say the least:

To feel like he was doing something right for once — and that he could have as much freedom as he pleases.

Gabriel was not a good father. No, not by any means.

But despite all of this…

Adrien still loved his father. It was hard not to. He really had no one else to love after his mother…

Point is, it was weird. It was weird to feel like an orphan — and legally, he is one, since Gabriel had his parental rights stripped away from him. The concept hasn't settled in his mind yet.

There was talk of The Gorilla adopting him; he had overheard his social worker talking with the Dupain-Cheng's. Adrien didn't mind that at all, however, he can't help but be skeptical of the bodyguard. Of course, they would not allow the man to foster and adopt him if he was involved with Hawkmoth at all — so he was a safe bet in that respect. And Adrien saw nothing wrong with how he would be treated while staying with him. Certainly, he would not be beaten around as before; the guy is big, but he has a bigger heart. He would never do such a thing.

Even though the man was mute, he still communicated through grunts, nods, and his eyes. Even before The Gorilla's police questioning, Adrien knew he took no part in Hawkmoth's plan. He had no doubt about it. If his visual skepticism and sorrowful looks were anything to go by…

Then there was nothing to worry about.

Adrien just had this… issue… where it was hard to trust people. Not that he didn't trust his bodyguard; he has to have some level of trust for that relationship to work anyhow. He just couldn't trust easily. When he was younger, he had no problem jumping off of a fifty-story window because he had faith and trust in Ladybug. But that had changed once Hawkmoth was revealed.

So he might just not fully trust him.

To put it bluntly: Adrien is not ready to allow another father figure into his life yet.

It's too soon and he wants to find the right one. As much as he loves the Gorilla, he reminds him too much of his father.

Actually, the buff man had grown quite fond of his young client. Being there for him was like protecting the sun from an oncoming asteroid; but instead of successfully blocking its path, he enabled it. Then the sun was filled with a spot of darkness where there should have been light.

The Gorilla felt so guilty; knowing what went on behind closed doors yet not acknowledging or reporting it. It was selfish of him; he just really loved his job, and he didn't want to lose it. But at some point, he realized that if he didn't do something then he might lose his job anyway, because the sunshine wouldn't be able to take it anymore. He still didn't.

He's so glad that Adrien persevered.

Adrien's social worker decided against signing off Gorilla as his legal guardian, as she noticed the constant looks being exchanged between the blonde and the Dupain-Cheng's and thought that they would be a better fit.

She could not sign them off as legal guardians, per say, since Adrien was dating their daughter and that would be against the law, but she signed them up as registered foster parents until he turns eighteen.

Three months. Then he will be officially on his own. With his Lady still beside him, he hopes.

The judge had decided on his own accord that there was sufficient evidence to add the charge of child abuse to Gabriel's case, making his already thirty year sentence into forty-seven. Parisians outside the courthouse made it hard for him to get home at the end of the day, which was a hassle, but he was very happy to work on this case. Providing justice for not only Adrien Agreste, but Paris (and New York and Shanghai) as well, makes him feel so accomplished. There is nothing better he could have done in his life; he could die right now and there would be a smile on his face.

Gabriel… well, he had expected a long sentence, but forty-seven years? In a penitentiary, nonetheless. He got so successful for this? Good god, what was he thinking?

Eh… maybe he'll build his own empire with the other inmates. That's something to look forward to, at least.

He wonders how Nathalie is doing. He will not be able to attend her trial, but he wonts updates. And he was told that he won't be getting them.

'What a shame. I was starting to love her.'


Adrien has his first therapy session today.

To say he was nervous would be an understatement.

His hands are clammy, legs were shaking, and he has a huge headache. He hopes his therapist will prescribe him some anxiety medication, if nothing else comes out of these appointments.

It's just… he has been so… private… his entire life. All of this sudden revealing had taken him for a loop. The revealing of that monster as Hawkmoth. The revealing of Ladybug as Marinette. The revealing of Mayura as Nathalie. The revealing of Nino as Carapace. The revealing of Alya as Rena Rouge. The revealing of his secret fucking identity to essentially the entire world.

Now he's expected to reveal his EMOTIONS to some stranger that he's never met — who probably knew about him and jumped at the chance because they felt pity. He was happy about the idea at first, but now it seems... invasive.

Mari was by his side, though, while he sits in the waiting room of the psychiatry office. Every time his leg bounces up and down or his lips roll in, she gives his hand a gentle squeeze just to remind him that she's there.

She's always been there.

Speaking of, "What are you nervous about?"

He turns to face her, noticing the way her eyes are widened in concern. Then he forces a smile.

"Nothing."

An obvious lie. Which his girlfriend obviously didn't take.

Marinette scoffs, "I would be nervous, too. Just… what's freaking you out?"

Adrien hesitates before his eyes shift downwards, and he slumps in his seat.

"I don't… I don't like the idea of some random person knowing everything about me. All of my deepest thoughts. They aren't pretty," he says quietly, mumbling near the end.

The bluenette frowns. She knows about his self-destructive thoughts, and she never thought about it that way.

"Well," she starts, "that's what she's there for. You rant to her about… whatever's going on inside your head, and she offers better coping mechanisms."

Her boyfriend's frown deepens.

"I know, but I'm afraid she's gonna judge me."

She doesn't hold back her eye-roll.

"Minou, she gets paid not to judge people. It's her job."

"Some people don't do their jobs very well."

They fall into an uncomfortable silence, and before Marinette could say anything else, his therapist walks into the room.

"Adrien?" She calls, looking right at him.

Tentatively, he meets her eyes. She sends him a sweet smile. He takes a deep breath.

"Can I come with?" Marinette asks the lady hopefully.

She nods, "Of course. Are you ready?"

Oh, the last question was directed towards him.

He nods and stands up onto his shaky legs, pulling his girlfriend up with him. He had forgotten that their hands were still intertwined.

Steadily, the three make their way down the hallway and into a small room (at least, small for Adrien) that had a small blue couch against the wall and her cherry wooden desk. The blonde took note of the drawings on her wall, all seemingly made by children under ten years old, and the basketball hoop hanging off the back of the door. Then he noticed that there were no chairs sitting in front of her desk, like he thought there would be.

He must have had a look of confusion on his face because his therapist smiles, catching his attention.

"Not what you expected?"

Adrien shakes his head, "I, um… I thought there'd be chairs in front of your desk… to… you know, um… sit at?"

It comes out as a question.

"I like my patients to be comfortable, and not feel like they're sitting in the principal's office."

He smiles at that, then looks over to Mari, who nods and brings him over to the couch to sit down.

"So, Adrien. I just want to say that anything you tell me will stay in this room and I will not share it with anyone else. Doctor-patient confidentiality is very important to me and I want to make sure that you feel safe in this room," his therapist starts.

Adrien nods, allowing her to continue.

"My name is Chrissy Blanchet, I am a licensed psychiatrist and have been working at this office for fifteen years. I have two sons and a daughter, my daughter is still finishing up college but my two boys are in their second year of university. My husband and I divorced about three years ago, but we are still co-parenting and good friends to this day. Umm, I really love to cook and believe it or not, I enjoy watching tennis matches on the television."

Chrissy grins widely at the teenage couples sitting on her couch, hoping that talking about herself will ease some of the boy's anxieties. Like she said, she has been in this field for fifteen long years, so she knows when someone is uncomfortable. It's rare that someone isn't uncomfortable on their first session. She's glad he has a good support system, though.

Marinette nudges Adrien lightly and sends him a pointed look, as if to urge him to say something. The blonde seems to understand as his eyes widen and he clears his throat, turning to look at Chrissy again.

"Um, hi," he offers awkwardly.

His girlfriend seems annoyed as she rolls her eyes, then directs her attention at his therapist.

"Hi, I'm Marinette. I'm this kid's girlfriend," she says fondly.

"Nice to meet you, Marinette," Chrissy greets. "How did you two meet?"

She doesn't miss the look they give each other as they take a moment to respond.

"Uh, we met a few years ago—" Adrien starts, but Marinette interrupts with a question.

"Did you see the news or anything, lately?"

The therapist's eyebrows shoot up in curiosity, then she shakes her head.

"No, why? I mean, besides Hawkmoth's defeat…"

Chrissy trails off at the boy's cringe. Her confusion increases. Then the lightbulb goes off.

Agreste. The kid's last name is Agreste. He's the son of Hawkmoth.

'Oh, poor kid.'

She apologizes, "I'm sorry, I just realized. But I haven't seen anything beyond that. I suppose that answers quite a few of my questions, though."

Adrien nods, looking down to his lap and tapping his foot.

Marinette watches as Chrissy reaches behind her, into a box on her shelf, and pulls out a… weird object. Then she turns back to the couple and throws it to Adrien.

"Hey," the lady calls out softly, "catch!"

With his cat-like reflexes, the blonde superhero's head shoots up and his hand reaches out to grab the flying object. He brings it closer, staring at it with curiosity.

"What is this?"

"It's a fidget. Just play with it in your hands. It will calm your nerves."

He nods, doing as she says. Marinette has to admit, it does work. Her kitty let out a breath once he started messing with the buttons and switches, and his foot-tapping was slowing down.

"Alright, Marinette," Chrissy says, "What did I miss on the news? What does this have to do with how you met?"

The girl gulps.

"I was just wondering, because there's some information that's floating around the news stations right now and I figured you might know about…" she licks her lips, "us, already."

If anything, this only confuses the psychiatrist even more.

"I'm not following?"

Adrien sighs, "I'm Chat Noir, Marinette is Ladybug, and we revealed it a week ago. She was asking because she didn't want to explain, because she makes everything way more complicated than it has to be."

Chrissy's lips form an 'o' shape as she takes in this information.

"Well, I did not know that," she smiles, "but it's great to finally meet the young heroes unmasked. I take it you guys met the first day we saw you?"

The couple nods and Adrien adds, "We also met the same day as our civilian selves, at school."

"Ah, well, that answers that! And… thank you for everything you've done for this city."

Marinette smiles, but her boyfriend just rolls his eyes and huffs, going back to fidgeting.

"It's no problem! Things have just been tough, since…" the bluenette trails off.

She doesn't have to finish, so she doesn't. Chrissy seems to understand.

"I would expect it to be," she says gently. Then she looks to Adrien.

"Hey, you've been very strong through this whole thing. Even if you don't want to talk about anything today, just know that I'm here to listen. Okay?"

It takes him a moment, but he nods.

"Alright. Well, as much as I'd like to spend more time getting to know you… I do have to ask the very boring questions of diagnosis. This is to see if you have any irregular mental behaviors, that may be effecting how you see yourself and others."

"You want to make sure I'm not insane?" The blonde mutters.

"Even if you were, we have medication for that. So, to start…"

Then began one long hour of question after question, each helping the therapist come up with an appropriate diagnosis for any mental disorders that Adrien may have.

The more he answers "yes," the more incompetent he feels. His father made sure that he knew his worth from a very young age, to which he had deduced that it was very little, and that he was good at little-to-nothing. When he was good at something — it was rare — he was 'rewarded' with more practice to maintain his skill, never with his father's pride.

Everything had been always been about his skill, never about him.

Chrissy, on the other hand, ensured that he never felt stupid or annoying or helpless. While she went through the process of inquiries, she stopped once in a while to remind the boy that this is all okay and you're allowed to feel this way and it's not your fault. But she knew it would take time. It had struck her halfway through that he did not grow up in a loving home where he should have been told these things — his home was the problem.

She should have assumed, really. His father was Hawkmoth. And she's sure she doesn't know half the story.

However, she didn't want this preconceived notion to affect her view of the boy. From what she saw, he was very polite and quiet. She had once been akumatized; and based on the natural malice in his voice, there was no way that Gabriel Agreste was polite and quiet. She would not have been surprised if he had a cold tone to his voice all the time. But not being a fan of fashion had provided her with a lack of knowledge on the designer and how he sounded.

Finally, she had her diagnosis ready.

"Adrien, you seem to have a strong case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, as well as a Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depression. I will prescribe you some medication for the last two, and that medication should also help with the PTSD, as well. You can keep that fidget, if you'd like, or I could keep it here for every time you come."

He nods at that, "I'll keep it here."

"Sounds good! Well, I have another session in twenty minutes so if you want to stay and talk a bit longer, we can, but you are free to go!"

In a split second, he is standing up.

"Thanks," Marinette manages to say before she's pulled out of the door that shuts right behind her.

The distressed therapist sighs.


"You did well," Marinette compliments, running her hand up and down his arm as they walk out of the building.

He shrugs.

"I just wanted to get out of there."

"I think you'll learn to enjoy it."

"What's there to enjoy?"

The bluenette narrows her eyebrows at her boyfriend's stubborn behavior.

She huffs, "Look, Adrien, I know this is new for you but you have to at least try."

He stops walking once they get to the car, angrily ripping his arm out of her hold and giving her a hard glare.

"I'm not trying, huh? What's me agreeing to do this damn thing, Mari? I don't have to like it, but I'm at least giving it a shot! And you're going to tell me that I'm NOT TRYING?!"

Marinette winces, regretting her choice of words.

Adrien turns away from her and walks to the side of the car, opening the back door and promptly slamming it closed once he's safely inside the vehicle.

Tom, sitting in the driver's seat, raises an eyebrow at the anger resonating from the boy, however he chooses not to say a word.

Marinette follows him shortly after, cautiously and quietly sitting next to her angered boyfriend.

The atmosphere inside of the vehicle is heavy; you could cut the tension in the air with a dull knife.

Tom grunts, upset at the tension between the kids. Of course, he knew that Adrien's first therapy session wouldn't go very smoothly, but he has no idea what caused a rift between the boy and his daughter.

"What happened?" He asks tentatively.

The blonde huffs again, while Marinette bites her bottom lip guiltily.

She quietly says, "I said something I shouldn't have."

Adrien raises an eyebrow at this, but doesn't say a word. Marinette clears her throat.

"Do you mind taking us to Alya's place? Nino is over there too. We have to talk to them about something."

Now it's Tom's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Together? I'm not sure that's—"

To the man's surprise, Adrien interrupts.

"I get offended easily. We'll be fine."

He spoke shortly. And he never spoke shortly. Tom knew for a fact now that he was angry.

"Alright…" he gives in, "but only if you don't bite her head off, Adrien."

"I won't."

The small smile that was on Mr. Dupain's face dropped when the blonde responded shortly again. He was expecting to get a little chuckle out of him, at the very least, but not even that happened.

Oh man.

The car ride to Alya's house was uncomfortably quiet. So quiet that even the radio couldn't fill the tension of silence.

Once they arrived, Tom held Marinette back for a second as her boyfriend headed straight for the front door.

"Marinette?" He asks, "What did you say to him?"

She sighs sadly, hanging her head.

"I told him that he wasn't trying."

Tom tilts his head in confusion.

"Trying to what?"

"No… I said…" she groans, throwing her hands up in the air.

"I said that he wasn't trying."

It takes him a moment, but her father understands.

"And he's trying so hard."

"So hard," Marinette affirms. Then she shakes her head, "I don't know why I said that. I think I was just wasn't liking his attitude. He was so…snappy. And he's never like that."

"Well, this is all a lot for him to take in. A lot of change. Seeing a therapist is probably throwing him for a loop too, you know? He was never offered that before. He probably doesn't know how to take it."

His daughter frowns.

"You're totally right. I guess I wasn't thinking about it like that. I'm going to apologize."

"You're a good girl. I'm sure he'll come around."

She nods, "I hope."

With that, she waves goodbye to her father and enters the Cesaire household. When she walks in, she finds the boys on the couch and Alya making something in the kitchen.

She takes note of the sullen look on Adrien's face, sighing, then heads over to Alya.

Alya tilts her head when her best friend walks in.

"What's wrong, girl? You look like you just watched someone kill a puppy…"

Marinette rolls her eyes, taking a seat at the island.

"That person would be me, and I feel guilty as hell."

Alya sighs, "I know that something happened between you and Adrien. He came in looking pretty upset."

"Did he say what happened?"

"No. What did you say?"

The bluenette groans, letting her head fall down onto the table.

She mumbles, "I told him he wasn't trying."

"What was that?"

"I said," Marinette speaks a little louder, "I told Adrien he wasn't trying. Which he was."

"You mean trying as in, trying his best?"

Marinette nods miserably, looking up at her best friend.

"He's been doing so well lately — taking everything in stride. But today at therapy, he was a bit snappy and kind of rude towards his therapist. Then when I told him that he'd eventually enjoy being able to rant for a whole hour, and having new coping mechanisms, he said that there's nothing to enjoy.

"And I don't know what happened, but I said that he needs to try. Maybe I meant that he needs to try to enjoy it; maybe I meant that he needs to try and keep a positive attitude. Whatever I meant, it struck a chord. A wrong one. And now he's mad at me."

Alya exhales sharply letting her cheeks puff out.

"Yeah, girl. Sorry to say it but that was pretty insensitive."

"It was, I know. I need to apologize, but he's with Nino right now and I think we need some space for a bit anyway. He's been with me since the day we defeated his father. Maybe we both just… need a second. To think about something else or even just to let some stuff sink in."

Alya nods, "You're right. Also, Gabriel's trail was only a few days ago. You gotta remember that the dude was sentenced to like fifty years. I mean, imagine your father going to jail for five decades."

Marinette's frown deepens.

"It's a lot to take in," her friend finishes.

"That's what my dad said too."

"Yeah. Plus, he's turning eighteen in three months and the directors of Gabriel are thinking about handing it over to him. The company is failing, so they think that if he takes over and rebrands then they will get business back. It wasn't like his father was doing any of the work, anyways. He was too busy akumatizing people."

Marinette glances over at her boyfriend and Nino on the couch, who are very focused on playing their video game, then turns back to Alya.

"Taking over an entire company? He's barely an adult! And he's already overworked enough…"

The girl lowers her voice to a whisper.

"I mean, he already saves Paris on a daily basis. That's enough of a commitment already, and it's affected him pretty badly."

Alya raises an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" She asks in a whisper.

Marinette gulps.

"He was diagnosed with anxiety and depression today. And PTSD, too. I feel like part of the anxiety is all of the pressure that's been put on him throughout the years; the pressure to be perfect. Adding onto that pressure is just going to make it worse."

"Yeah. I agree."

It's quiet for a minute as Alya contemplates.

"Well," she starts, "being Chat Noir gave Adrien a sense of freedom. But he's never had much freedom otherwise. I think that a good way to make it up to him is to let him do what he wants."

Marinette scrunches her eyebrows together in confusion.

"What?"

"Let him not talk to you for a while. Let him hang out with Nino. Honestly, give him time. I'm not saying break up or anything, but maybe he just needs to figure himself out and not go to you for everything."

She inhales deeply, nodding.

"I get it, Alya, I do. I'm really trying to give him as much space as he needs right now."

"Good idea, girl."


"Alright," Nino starts, looking between his girlfriend and Marinette, "How are we going to do this?"

Marinette takes a deep breath as she contemplates.

"Well, the order of the guardians in Tibet want the Miracle box to stay safe and out of danger while there is none. That way, no new danger can be created from abusing a miraculous," Tikki pipes in.

It's silent for a moment as the teenagers look at the Kwami thoughtfully.

Alya says, "Wouldn't it be better for certain people, like already trusted people, to keep their miraculous in case of any oncoming dangers?"

Her best friend nods.

"That's what I've been trying to tell the Headmaster, but he won't budge. He kept saying that the miraculous belong in the temple, to stay safe."

"Okay, yeah," Nino rolls his eyes, "but what's the point of the miraculous existing if they're not being used?"

Tikki speaks up, "We can actually remain dormant for centuries before being used again. We are only brought out when we're truly needed. And since there is no real threat anymore, the Order of the Guardians want to ensure that we won't be misused."

"Yeah," Marinette says, "The Headmaster needs any holders to return their miraculous immediately to prevent what happened with Hawkmoth."

The productive atmosphere turned sour as soon as the man was mentioned.

Nino had made sure to keep Adrien out of earshot whilst this conversation occurred, as it had to do with losing another person — or rather, being — that he considered family. Granted, they are brainstorming ways to keep the demigod companions, but nothing is set in stone and until then, the threat is still hanging in the air. None of them wanted to add that onto Adrien's plate.

"Ok, Marinette. You were declared guardian by the previous guardian. Doesn't that make you a part of the Order?" Alya asks.

Marinette pales, "Uh… technically, I guess? I was appointed at the last minute and I haven't gone through the real training so it's not official, but—"

"But you were given the title and therefore have the ability to make certain decisions. And one decision you can make is to go to the Headmaster and appeal that rule. You said that all active guardians can vote, right?"

"Well, yes, but—"

"Then you can go in there and make a difference! That way, you and Adrien can keep your Kwamis and everything will be—"

"ALYA!"

Said girl stops, stunned. Her eyes widen at Marinette, who lets out a huff of air.

"The majority of the Order needs to appeal a rule in order for it to be removed. My vote will mean nothing, Alya. That's not going to help."

"It's worth a shot, though, Mari! I mean, some Guardians might have changed their minds over the years but never appealed it because of the same reason you're thinking of right now. Just try it!"

"Solid idea, babe," Nino compliments.

He continues, "But what's the plan B if it doesn't work? Plan C? D, E, F, G, H….."

Alya rolls her eyes. "Mari still has all the miraculous. We could show up transformed, and—"

"That will show them that I'm allowing irresponsible use of the miraculous. They would never let us keep the miraculous then," Marinette supplies.

The darker-skinned couple groans in frustration.

"How about…" the brunette starts, gaining the attention of her friends.

"How about we rewrite the book of rules?"


Oop. A lot happened here.

Next up:

Nathalie's trial, scheming, and Emilie's funeral.

**Since I am incredibly busy with my job, my updates will no longer be weekly but just whenever I can. Slow updates so make sure to follow! That way you can keep up when I update and it'll be a little surprise ;)

As always, hope you enjoyed! Don't forget to favorite, follow, and review!

xx Lis