Author's note: First of all Merry Christmas to everyone. Thanks again for all of the reviews.

/

Over the past few years in Paris, it's become more or less an accepted fact that Ladybug and Cat Noir are always watching. They don't always intervene. In a city which is no longer plagued by magical butterflies or cursed feathers, there isn't as much need to call upon the city's heroes. After all, the local authorities are better suited to deal with things such as fires and minor crimes than they ever were akumas. For all that, if ever something seems to pose somewhat more a threat be it an accident of some description or a more malevolent threat, the two masked vigilantes can usually be trusted to make an appearance. In that respect, they are a fearsome deterrent for many troublemakers.

Usually…

There's always someone who's determined to make a name for themselves or who believes that they'll somehow be different. For the most part, Paris' heroes like to prove them wrong.

That night, there's a robbery. An armed one. Rather than risk the lives of officers, it's the two miraculous holders who head off in pursuit. It's relatively easy for them to follow the flashing lights and sirens. Unlike their targets, they aren't bound by such things as traffic or the rule of the road. A message is sent out, the cops slow and eventually give up tailing. It's prompts the crooks to slow down just a little, making the streets just a bit safer. Still, neither Ladybug nor Cat Noir make their move. Instead, they content themselves will following from the rooftops, ensuring that they aren't spotted and allowing their targets to believe that they've gotten away with it.

Eventually, they come to a stop, underneath an underpass somewhere on the edge of the city. It's anything but a glamorous spot. There's only two crooks. Enough to give a jeweler a scare and make off with a fair amount of loot however. They watch for a few moments, waiting for the right moment. As powerful as they are, it's best not to be caught off-guard, not where bullets are concerned.

They appear to be waiting but as of yet, nobody has shown themselves. It presents the two of them with something of a dilemma: do they attack right now or wait and make sure that these two don't have backup? The discussion is held silently between the two of them. A few looks, the odd glance or tilt of the head, they've been at this so long that it's all more or less instinctive.

They attack together, moving quickly and quietly. Adrien's not too sure how they'd fare if they were to actually get hit by bullets, whilst a part of him is inclined to assume that the power of the miraculous would protect them like it does with things such as falls or impacts which arguably should have meant either death or serious injury, on the other hand, it's not something that he particularly wants to put to the test. So he's cautious. They both are, they ensure that they attack before the criminals have enough time to realize what's happening.

Ladybug lands the first blow. Before either of the two men have the opportunity to realize quite what's happening, her yo-yo strikes one of them on the forehead. The time it takes for his companion to turn around, process just what's happening and reach for his weapon, Cat Noir's brought his staff down a top his shoulder. He lets out a shriek of pain. Adrien spins around bringing his weapon crashing into the man's legs. It works wonderfully, tripping him. He's on the concrete in the space of a second.

The heroes make quick work of tying up the two goons. The police should be here soon enough. On occasion, they've been known to drop them off at the station. Tonight however, both opt to stay here. If nothing else, they can't leave the vehicle full of loot. It's far too tempting a target for any curious onlookers. Thankfully, their captives seem to be smart enough to know that it's probably on balance best not to push their luck.

"Not a pun in sight, Kitty?" Ladybug's tone is playful but doesn't entirely mask her concern.

"Nothing funny about these two clowns..." Is the muttered response that she gets.

She doesn't push him any further than she has already. They wait in silence until the sirens are heard and blue lights appear. The two heroes don't make a fuss about handing over their two prisoners. Smiling (well, Ladybug does at least) for a couple of photos from eager journalists before departing and taking to the rooftops.

Ladybug follows him. She makes no secret of it. It's a silent request for him to stop and for the two of them to be able to chat. He does so eventually, settling down on a rooftop. His stance however, crouched down, as if he's prepared to leap away, lets her know that he isn't easy. As such, his girlfriend maintains some distance. She knows Adrien, is aware that whilst he's usually the tactile sort but like everyone, from time to time he isn't so eager. Just the way he looks at her, he doesn't need warmth or affection, not right now. Any attempts to hug him or even just take his hand, it won't be pushed away or met with hostility but they won't comfort him.

So she looks at him sympathetically. It's hard to know what's going on behind those green eyes of his. Some suffering no doubt. Tonight, she realizes, the matters are out of her control. There's someone else better suited for this particular task:

"Go to Nathalie." It's a gentle order. "You've waited long enough."

Adrien fixes her for a few moments, it's impossible to read his thoughts. She thinks though, that there might be a very little glimmer behind his orbs. Is it hope, fear or love? She can't tell but after a few moments, he nods. He'll do it. She breathes a little easier.

Nathalie Sancoeur will be home at this time. Adrien knows her schedule well enough – or at least he thinks that he did – it occurs to him as he walks down the street, hands in his jean pockets and hood pulled up so that nobody will recognize him. In his mind, it's hard to shake the image of the way that she had looked up at him that night he'd knocked her to the ground. More than once, he comes to a stop, he even turns around twice.

There's something that makes him continue on however. It's an almost childish feeling of being lost and longing for what in his mind has become the only maternal figure he can still trust. He needs to hear her voice, listen to her words although he has a feeling that a few of them will be harsh, instructing himself to pull himself back together. What time is it? She might have cooked dinner. Nathalie can cook. She prepares nice, simple meals. It's chilly enough for her to have maybe prepared adobar… He can almost taste the beef stew now. For the first time in weeks, he actually feels hungry. With every step, there's a growing feeling of excitement, a longing.

He's been to Nathalie's apartment before. She rents it, living in a decent part of town, residential and away from the main hub of the capital which can be something of a tourist trap. As a result, the space is greatly less than that offered by the mansion which would make just the two of them living there something of a squeeze, although not quite as bad as the dump that Dylan and Delphine had called home. That and as she had pointed out to him when he'd suggested they didn't return to his house and instead made her place their home, people would wonder why Adrien Agreste was living with his father's assistant. He regrets it now. It would have been nice. He could have put up with sleeping on the couch, he's demonstrated that in the past. It would have made for a more manageable space without the cavernous and at times empty feel and most certainly wouldn't have harbored quite the same number of ghosts.

He knows the access code which grants him access to the stairwell, Nathalie had made him memorize it should he ever need either a safe-space or to come find her. He wonders if she had ever envisioned such a scenario as this one. He wouldn't have put it past the woman, she always seems to have planned almost everything out. That in itself is comforting. He's convinced himself that she'll know some manner of secret, some way to take the pain away and make everything better again.

When he reaches the entrance on the forth floor, he finds himself coming to a stop. He curses under his breath. He'd left the mansion as Cat Noir and ensured that his window was open to allow for his return. As a result, he hadn't bothered bringing along his keys. They were more of a liability than anything else as he always feared what would happen if he lost them or if someone found one of Paris' superheroes with one of Adrien Agreste's possessions. A few years ago, Man had had a key to her front door cut and presented it to him, "just in case". That leaves him there with no way to let himself in.

It isn't an issue. He merely knocks.

He waits a while but to his considerable surprise there isn't an answer. He checks the old watch that she gave him and that now seldom leaves his wrist, it's too early for her to be in bed. So why doesn't she answer? Plagg checks for him, fazing through the door. He's gone only a few moments before reappearing.

"She isn't in."

The news comes as something of a surprise to him, if only because he doesn't know where else she would be. The only family that he knows she has is Mamita way down south and there's no way that she would have gone back to Provence without telling him, especially not at a time like this. Has something happened to her? He does his best to calm himself and rationalize the situation. Perhaps she merely went out to get some takeaway or has found herself a new job that means she works late. Delphine's occupation had seen her coming home at all sorts of hours.

So the teen resolves not to panic, instead, he settles down on the step, determined to wait until she comes home. He feels sleepy sitting there and more than once feels himself begin to drift off. Plagg makes no attempt to wake him up. If anything, the kwami seems to encourage him to sleep promising to keep watch for him. Perhaps he does. Whatever the case, he finds himself unable to account for a portion of the time that he sits there and assumes that he did indeed doze for a bit.

There's a terrible familiar voice coming from downstairs. It causes him to ache as he realizes just how much he's been missing her. A painful reminder of what was taken from him a little over a week ago. Instantly, Adrien gets to his feet. It's a struggle not to charge down the stairs so as to be able to greet her. She won't know that he's here. It will be a surprise for her. He's going to give her a hug, the young man's decided that much already. It's the only way that he knows how to get across just what he's feeling and what he's been through and how much he's missed her.

He's about to take his first few steps towards her when a sudden realization hits him. It's a terribly simple one but carries with it some curious implications: he can hear her voice. She's talking to someone. It's a man's voice? They're coming up the stairs. Acting on instinct, Adrien silently pads up the next flight. He crouches down, shielding himself in the darkness to the best of his ability. From where he is, he can still see the door however. He waits with his heart in his mouth, unsure what he's about to discover.

Sure enough, he finds that the woman is accompanied. It's a man. A man that Adrien has never seen before. They're chatting, discussing matters but it doesn't sound incredibly serious or rather, it isn't business talk but rather personal.

"I can't help but worry about him..." He hears her say to the stranger.

"It's natural… You spent all time looking after him."

Adrien frowns considering the stranger from afar. There's something that swells up inside of him which he can't quite understand. If he were a dog or even a cat, he fancies that his hackles would be raised. Perhaps, if he weren't so taken aback by all of this he would have reacted more violently. In those few moments, he feels as though he might yet. He clenches his fists and grits his teeth. It takes quite a bit of willpower to stay where he is and not to storm over to the stranger and push him away from Nathalie.

He's close to her but by no means aggressive or pushy. It's simply more noticeable given that Nathalie for the most part prefers to keep people at arm's length. If anything, they seem to be at ease with one another which leads him to believe that they haven't met one another tonight… Initially, it looks as if they might be away to go their separate ways but then, to his considerable surprise, the woman invites the stranger inside.

What is this that he feels? Anger? Jealousy? Betrayal?

He needs to see, needs to confirm. With Plagg's help, he darts out of the building and onto the rooftop opposite. It takes him a few seconds to work out which window is Nathalie's. From his vantage point, he can see both her lounge and kitchen which are in the same area. In the time that it's taken for him to get to his current spot, the man has settled down and the apartment's owner is serving alcohol of some kind, probably wine knowing her. Adrien watches from afar as they chat. From this distance, he can't tell what they're discussing which is somewhat maddening for the teen who suddenly finds himself anxious to know everything about this… Relationship… As mysterious and unforeseen as it is.

He notes a few things: Nathalie is smiling, from time to time. She's never been a grinning jackanape, so to manage to earn such an open show of affection and amusement is clearly a sign that she must be comfortable around this stranger and appreciate him to at least a certain degree. For the briefest of moments, he wonders if they might conceivably be related. He knows, in the scheme of things comparatively little about the family of the woman who has been caring for him these past four years. It's not a subject that she ever seems terribly comfortable with so he's always avoided it in the past. She could have a brother or a cousin…

The notion is shattered when the two kiss. Adrien turns away at that point. He doesn't need to see anything else. What he's witnessed here tonight is enough…

He shifts so that his back is turned to the building. Thoughts and emotions spiral round in his head out of control. He breathes heavily, tugging at his hair. Alone, he wants to scream. Anything to release himself from the turmoil. Nothing comes out however, perhaps aside from the occasional whimper. Has he been forgotten about so quickly? For a while he reasons that he has. How often has he been told that Nathalie isn't his mother. She had no reason to shelter him or to put her own life on hold for a boy who isn't ever hers. Now that she's no longer his guardian, she isn't tied to him and can get on with her personal life… He thinks of her smile. It was something which was far too rare to see on her face.

The young man glances back towards the building one more time. The lights are off now. He'll let them sleep. Cat Noir takes off into the night and heads back towards the Agreste Mansion.

He slips in through the open window and is greeted by the ever excitable Macaroon. The dog jumps up. Adrien greets him warmly as he changes back into his civilian self. Plagg doesn't wait to be offered some cheese before flying over to his personal stash and helping himself. A moment later however, he's by his friend's side. Adrien is back to sitting on the floor, patting the creature on the head and scratching behind his ears.

"What was that about?"

"She was happy Plagg..." Adrien gives a watery smile at the notion. "The last thing that she needs right now is me dumping all of my issues on her."

"You idiot!" The kwami snaps at him aggressively. "She wouldn't have-"

"Plagg, just let it lie…" The teen requests, leaning back so as to rest his head against the wall behind him. "I'm too tired."

He wants to sleep. The kwami doesn't protest. The request from the young man isn't one which offers no prospect of resisting or rebelling. Adrien never gives absolute orders. For all that, Plagg knows full well not to push things. Instead, he flies over to the teen's bed and picks up the lad's blanket. Carrying it is something of a strain but he succeeds in doing so, dropping it down onto his partner. He grumbles a few words under his breath, a thank you of sorts as he settles back down with Macaroon next to him and Plagg curled up against his chest. Still, the teen's eyes can't help but rest upon the image sitting on the dresser. It was taken only a couple of years ago in simpler times…

Nathalie smiles and so does he. What he wouldn't give to go back to those times.