Creepy Murder Bullshit

"My name is Madelaine," the woman repeated for the third time the past half hour, a result of one of them calling her by the wrong name. This time, it was him.

"Apologies," Gabriel muttered. He handed her a cup of tea. "Where are you from, Madelaine?"

Madelaine looked him over for a second, suspicion in her eyes, before determining he was safe to talk to. "Sydney," she finally replied. "I'm a bartender- or I was; I have no idea how I got here."

It was like Helena had been turned up to eleven, and Gabriel could see the pain it caused Adrien. He cast a cursory glance at him, sitting in a chair with his elbows on his knees, and he let out a sigh.

"Why don't we take this to another room?" Gabriel suggested.

Madelaine scoffed. "Like hell," she replied. "I doubt you'd pull any creepy murder bullshit with your kid here, so he stays."

Gabriel nodded a bit. "I understand your concerns," he said. "If you'd like, I have a phone; you could call your friends, family, boss…"

Madelaine held out a hand expectantly, at which point Gabriel fished his phone out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"Please don't inform anyone of how my son and I appeared when we first came across you," he added in.

"Like anyone would believe me." She opened his phone and started typing in a number.

Adrien watched on as she typed away. "You should really password protect that thing," he mentioned. "Especially with how prominent you are."

Madelaine lifted the phone to her ear and waited, but they could all hear the dial-up noise that came from it. "We're sorry. The number you are currently trying to reach is not in service. Please check the number and try again."

Madelaine jerked the phone away from her ear, a scowl on her face. "What the hell?" she asked the device. "That's his number!"

"Is there anyone else you could contact?"

"No, not really," she replied dismissively. She let out a frustrated groan and buried her head in her hands. "I don't have anywhere to stay; I don't even have money to get back to Sydney-"

"You could stay here!"

Both Gabriel and Madelaine jerked their heads to look at Adrien, who went from perked up and attentive to suddenly slouching again. "I mean, if that's okay with you… Dad."

Gabriel nodded mutely, then turned his attention to Madelaine again. "Adrien's idea is good, if you'd like to stay."

For a moment, Madelaine looked like she was going to turn the offer down flat, but then her face softened. "You'd really do that?" she asked.

"Absolutely," Gabriel assured her. "Everyone has a rough run of luck now and again." He turned to Adrien. "Why don't we go get some water for the five of us?"

Adrien raised an eyebrow, but Gabriel tilted his head down and that seemed to be all it took for him to understand. He got up and headed towards the kitchen, Gabriel following close behind. The second the first door shut behind them, he stopped and turned around.

"Are you seriously not going to try to convince her she's Mom?" Adrien asked in a whisper-yell.

"She won't believe us," Gabriel replied, voice calm but with far more concern than he would have displayed even a day ago. "I know you want her to remember; I do, too. But the best way to get her to remember is to show her, not tell her. The more we push her to believe she's Emilie, the more she'll push back, and if we push her to the point that she leaves, she will find a way to Australia and we'll never see her again."

Adrien stood there for a moment, clearly thinking up objections, but before he could say anything, Nooroo piped up.

"As far as she knows, she's human and has always been Madelaine. It's going to take time to convince her otherwise because she doesn't have reason to believe she isn't. She had Madelaine's memories of a whole life; that doesn't go away just because you tell her it's fake. The only reason Helena remembered is because you were in danger, and even then it was because Helena had started to care for you. She probably wouldn't have even come if she wasn't already suspicious on a subconscious level. Back me up here, Plagg."

No response.

"Plagg?"

Adrien let out a frustrated sigh and walked past Gabriel back to the parlor. "Plagg…" He opened the door and sure enough, Plagg floated there talking to Madelaine.

"So you don't know anything about the crusades?" he asked. "Not even stuff from school as a kid? Not even anything about the Cathars?"

Madelaine furrowed her brows together in confusion. "What's a Cathar?"

"Nothing?"

"Look, if this is some weird magical hazing thing, I'm not into it." Madelaine shook her head and leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest.

Plagg mimicked her actions, looking her over carefully. "You're being pretty chill for learning magical creatures exist."

That was enough. "Plagg!" Adrien snapped. "Leave her alone."

Plagg looked from Madelaine to Adrien and back again. "Fine," he grumbled, floating over to Adrien.

Gabriel watched the entire exchange from the middle of the hall, contemplating when the best time to cut in would be.

"Why would you start grilling her about the crusades, Plagg?" Adrien asked, frustration and exhaustion evident in his voice. "We were literally just talking about how trying to force her to remember wouldn't do any good! You would have known that if you were with me!"

"Adrien," Gabriel said with a sigh. "I don't know if you realize it, but the main seven kwamis are siblings. This is as painful for them as it is for us."

Adrien stared at his father for a moment, mouth agape, before he turned to Plagg. "Is that true?" he asked.

Plagg nodded without saying anything. There was something in his stance, how he held himself, that Gabriel couldn't identify. It wasn't solemnity, it wasn't anger… what was it?

This wasn't the time to handle that. Not when they were all tired and cranky and ready to go at each other's throats. "Let's just… have dinner and go to bed, and we can start over in the morning, hm?" Gabriel offered.

"I'm not hungry," Adrien grumbled, heading out the other door.

With a sigh, Gabriel followed, only to see the door after it swinging. Damn that kid was fast. At least he was headed towards his room.

Gabriel fixed three glasses of water and informed the chef to make enough food for three in case Adrien changed his mind, then returned to Madelaine.

"I'm sorry about that," he said. "Plagg can be a tad abrasive."

"A tad?" Madelaine and Nooroo asked in concert.

He couldn't help the snort that escaped him, but he regained his composure in a second. "I'm afraid Adrien has decided to go to bed early. I know you're not comfortable being alone with me, so I would be happy to call in my assistant, Nathalie-"

"Dude," Madelaine cut in. "I was, like, 90% screwing with you when I said that. Besides, the fairy will protect me. Right, little purple guy?"

"My name is Nooroo," Nooroo replied cordially. "And it's a pleasure to meet you."

Madelaine smiled and let out a tiny laugh. "Except you think this isn't our first meeting either, right?" she asked. "You're with them on the whole 'my real name is Emilie Agreste' boat."

Nooroo nodded. "To be more accurate, I think it's Duusu, and that Emilie is just a name you used, but I won't press," they promised.

"Thank you." Madelaine turned to Gabriel. "So does anyone else know about Catboy and Mothman, or am I just lucky."

"Lucky," he replied. "It's important to us that you don't tell anyone who we are- either of us. There are people we both care about who would be put in danger if knowledge of our identities was made public."

"Right," Madelaine said with a nod. "This is so different from back home."

Gabriel laughed and smiled. "Welcome to Paris," he replied simply.

The next morning, Gabriel woke up bright and early, just as he always did. Emilie had wanted their bedroom window to face the east, and over time it turned Gabriel into a (somewhat reluctant) morning person. He got up and went about his morning routine, only pausing to think once he had his coffee.

When was the last time he woke Adrien up for school? Two years was probably the best guess, just based on how awful he'd become in that time. Perhaps a good way to turn over this new leaf would be to restart some old habits.

Gabriel abandoned his coffee and walked to Adrien's room, knocking on the door. When he heard no response, he opened the door ajar, then all the way. He walked around the alcove the entrance was in, only to find the bed made and unslept in.

His heart jumped into his throat, his mind racing with a million different scenarios. The one he finally settled on was probably the worst of them all: that there were still a few straggler Guardians who came and took him in retaliation for saving Emilie- Madelaine.

Shaking hands pulled out a cell phone, and he entered Adrien's number.

Ring… ring… ring…

"Hi, you've reached the cell phone of Adrien Agreste. I can't come to the phone right now, but if you leave your name and number after the beep, I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

Beep.

He tried to mask the fear in his voice, but it was no use. "Adrien, it's your dad. Please answer your phone, call me back, just let me know you're okay. If it's the Guardians, I'll- I'll find a way to save you I promise just please-" His voice caught in his throat, and he felt hot tears running down his cheeks. "Please call me."

He hung up the phone, then searched through his contacts. He was sure he had the Lahiffe boy's (fuck what was his name why had he never bothered to learn his son's friends' names?) parents in there somewhere.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Mme. Lahiffe, this is Gabriel Agreste. Is Adrien there?" He did a better job at hiding the panic this time.

"No, I'm afraid not," the woman replied. The next thing that came was muffled, like she'd turned away from the phone or put her hand over the receiver. "Nino, honey, have you heard from Adrien?"

"No, sorry. Why?"

"His father's on the phone." Suddenly, her voice became more clear again. "I'm sorry, Nino hasn't seen him either. Perhaps he just got an early start toward school?"

Gabriel took a deep breath, trying to calm his galloping heart. "Right, right, school," he sighed. "I- um- thank you, Mme. Lahiffe. Have a lovely day." He hung up the phone and was about to try André, but hesitated. André didn't keep any better track of Chloé and her friends than Gabriel had when he was under the apathy spell. He spoiled her, but there was no emotional investment in her life.

Gabriel didn't even think about trying Audrey.

Slowly, Gabriel lowered himself to sit on his son's bed and dropped the phone by his side, his mind running away faster than he could keep up with the ideas.

Ding!

Gabriel turned to look at the phone and was met with a notification from the Ladyblog. He'd set up Ladybug and Chat Noir sighting notices as Hawkmoth and hadn't yet changed it. He picked up his phone, reading the short blurb.

Ladybug and Chat Noir spotted sleeping on a roof in the fourth arrondissement.

A heavy breath escaped Gabriel, and he slumped over in his spot. Adrien was safe. But he wouldn't be for long if the paparazzi got up on that roof before he left.

"Nooroo?" he asked, getting up off the bed.

Nooroo flew out of his coat pocket and floated a few feet in front of him. "You're not going to go out there, are you?" they asked suspiciously, eying Gabriel.

"Why not?"

A small snort escaped Nooroo, and they shook their head. "For starters, Hawkmoth causes panic in name alone. Seeing him pick up one of the city's sleeping superheroes will cause enough hysteria to recreate what you did on Heroes' Day. Not to mention if Ladybug wakes up while you're attempting this, you're setting yourself up to get your ass kicked."

Gabriel scoffed. "I held my own rather well against both of them before."

"That was when you were under the apathy spell and didn't know that he was your son and she was fifteen."

Instantly, Gabriel's face fell to a frown. "She's fifteen?" He let out a sigh and sat back down. "I suppose I should have figured that out, given that she and Adrien spend so much time together… Another student at the school, I'm assuming, based on her response times to the akumas I made there."

Nooroo shrugged their shoulders. "You'd have to ask Plagg," they replied. "What are you going to do?"

"I guess I'm down to one option. Nooroo, wings rise." Magic washed over him, and he raised his cane in front of him. A little screen appeared at the top, and he pressed the black-and-green paw print button.

Ring… ring… ri-

An image of his sleepy son appeared. "'Ullo?" he asked.

"Good morning," he said. Instantly, Chat Noir jerked to complete consciousness, and Hawkmoth wished he could ignore the fear that flashed in his eyes. In as soft and gentle a voice he could manage, he said, "You're going to be late for school, son. Why don't you get back home and we can have breakfast?"

"Um…" Chat Noir hesitated, glancing down at Ladybug, still sleeping on his shoulder. "I'm, uh… gonna pass," he finally said. "Gotta get LB up, too. I'll see you at home."

Hawkmoth nodded, but before he could respond, the call ended. He let out a heavy sigh and set the cane down. "Nooroo, wings fall."