Author's note: Officially the last chapter of 2019 so Happy New Year everyone. Thanks for the reviews!

/

The phone call that Marinette receives one Saturday morning is not one that she had been expecting in the slightest.

She doesn't recognize the number. The teen frowns, contemplating the digits and toying with the idea of ignoring the call, assuming that it's just a spammer or someone trying to sell her something. Curiosity gets the better of her. She answers and it's astonishment which takes hold as she hears a familiar voice from the other end of the line.

It's Emilie Agreste. The woman sounds different somehow; tired, perhaps a little weak. It's a far cry from the confidence that she usually broadcasts. It's enough to stir the girl's curiosity as opposed to causing her to hang up instinctively as she otherwise might have done in the name of her friend. Whilst they haven't discussed matters or established any rules, Marinette isn't inclined to be clement towards those who have torn apart her boyfriend's life with so little care as to what impact it might have on him. No, she'll hear the boy's mother out.

"Marinette… I was wondering, if you wouldn't mind coming to dinner?"

The question catches the teen off-guard. She's not too sure just what she'd been expecting but somehow this wasn't it. She doesn't quite know what to reply. She assumes that they mean come to dinner with the whole family, including Adrien, not just the two of them. The notion makes her a little uncomfortable. If only because she's not entirely sure that her boyfriend would approve. He's so terribly sensitive these days. Issues that he'd previously only suffered from one rare occasions are starting to become frequent and perhaps more worryingly were seeping through into his day-to-day life.

He refuses to talk about how his meeting with Nathalie went. Which leads Marinette to assume that something somewhere must have gone wrong. She can only wonder, being too timid to try and get an answer out of him a little more forcibly. She's toyed with asking the woman once or twice but thinks better of it. If those two aren't talking that means that now she's the only person that Adrien has left to confide in outside of Plagg. It isn't a position that the teen is willing to potentially jeopardize. She trusts her boyfriend to let her know what's going on in his life, eventually…

As such, she lets out a reluctant sigh. She needs to check all of this through with Adrien first. She won't go behind his back.

"Mrs. Agreste, after everything that's happened-"

"Please…" The woman is practically begging her at this point. "Adrien's not well. He's barely eating. The few times he does get to sleep its on the floor in a heap with that dog of his. The other day, he spent an hour just staring at that scruffy old watch the other day!"

She bites her lower lip, tempted to tell the boy's mother that if they want to sort out the problem and find some culprits then they have no further to look than themselves. If they're so desperate to help out their beloved son then a good place to start would be by bringing Nathalie back. Instead, to her ears, it practically sounds like they're blaming Adrien for the issues which he's currently suffering from. That in itself is enough to get her blood to boil. Is it a voluntary ignorance which causes the couple to look anywhere else but to themselves?

She stops herself however. It would be easy for them to get into a blame game. Instead, she pauses and thinks. There can be no denying that Adrien's not quite right. Even if Marinette hasn't witnessed any of the incidents which Emilie claims have occurred, she has no reason to doubt them and unfortunately no problem in believing that this is what he's going through on a daily basis. She can picture the young man, sitting up there on his own in his room, fixing the watch which was presented to him by someone that he cared for, just counting the seconds as they trickle by.

"Okay… What time?"

"Would six o'clock this evening be alright?" The woman seems to have perked up somewhat.

"Yes but I'm going to say this now: no tricks, okay?"

There's a pause. Marinette wishes that they were having this discussion face to face. She wants to be able to see and attempt to decipher the woman's facial expression. Instead, she's trapped unable to see if the woman she's talking to is smiling or close to tears. She hopes that it's the latter. The girl prays that Adrien's parents are nearing the end of their rope and are growing increasingly desperate, to the extent where they are willing to be open to new ideas and hopefully for once to listen as opposed to trying to force their will on everyone around them.

It's a few moments before she finally gets something of a response:

"There won't be any… I- We… We just want our son to be better."

The words sound so pained, so sincere that Marinette dares to believe them. What mother wouldn't want their family back together? If Emilie's made some mistakes in the past, hopefully this is the beginnings of her trying to put things back together.

She agrees. Aware that this could easily prove to be a mistake. As such, the girl isn't going into things unprepared. She won't be a naive fool who ends up becoming just another tool in whatever game Adrien's parents think that they're playing. She decides to take a few precautions. The first of which is to send her boyfriend a text message, warning him that she's going to be there so that he too can brace himself. She also warns Master Fu. The two miraculous holders in the same place might make for a formidable team but it can also be a liability. She needs him to know what's at stake, especially with no Nathalie around to keep an eye out for them. She also sneaks a few macaroons into her bag, just in case she finds herself needing to feed Tikki after using her lucky charm…

In short, she ensures that she's more or less ready for whatever they can throw at her. Then she's on her way.

As anxious as she is about the whole thing, she tries to act as naturally as possible. That means going in through the front door. She still finds herself looking towards, the camera half-expecting Nathalie to be on the other end. Instead, it's Emilie who greets her. She does seem… Affected. The woman's a bit paler and appears to be tired. Perhaps this isn't a trick after all. She greets the teen, apologizes for some of what's happened and is otherwise is very polite, asking after the girl's parents. Gabriel is there too, albeit more withdrawn. Given the history, that suits Marinette just fine. She talks only for a few moments. Whilst the teen isn't rude, she makes it quite clear through her somewhat clipped tone that she isn't here for them but rather Adrien.

He's in his room. Where else?

Marinette makes her way up there slowly but surely. She approaches her boyfriend's room with a certain amount of both reticence and caution. She's aware that he's liable to be highly strung and opts to knock.

"Come in Mari."

Adrien sounds exhausted. He looks terrible too. More often than not, she's grown accustomed to him looking a bit run down but since Nathalie left the effect has worsened rapidly. She's not too sure if perhaps the woman simply cleaned him up before he left the house and ensured that most of his suffering was concealed from the outside world or if this is simply a reaction to her being sent away but it's apparent even at a first glance that something isn't quite right.

The girl doesn't have enough time to contemplate things any further than that as Macaroon charges into her, barking excitedly. She only just has enough time to steady herself to avoid being knocked over. She laughs gently. Looking up after a few seconds to see if her amusement might have succeeded in cheering Adrien up even in the slightest. There's no smile to be seen. He simply looks at her through tired eyes. It's enough to make her own spirits fall somewhat. There's something about him that she can't quite place. It unsettles her.

"You… Came round for dinner?" He asks eventually, his voice low.

"I uh- Yeah." She stops herself, unsure about where to begin. "Didn't you know?"

He flashes the phone before her. Indicating that he was fully aware. So is this a reproach? Adrien is cold and taciturn with her for the first time. Despite her best efforts, he seems to want nothing to do with her. The young woman realizes that he's angry with her or at the very least resents her decision. So why not tell her to stay away? In an odd way, it actually reminds her of dealing with Dylan. Perhaps the stranger from down south only sleeps within the boy who had invented him. It isn't pleasant and already, there's a decidedly uneasy atmosphere. It feels like a storm is brewing.

They hear a call to come to the table. Adrien doesn't question it. He gets to his feet, patting Macaroon on his head mindlessly as he leaves the room. Plagg lingers for a moment however, waiting until he's sure that his partner is out of earshot before drifting close to the young man's girlfriend:

"Keep an eye on him." The kwami requests his voice uncharacteristically serious.

"He's not himself, is he?"

She gets a sorrowful shake of the head as a response. It causes her heart to sink somewhat as she contemplates the uncertainty of the evening ahead. There's a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. She feels like she's on board of a sinking ship about to plunge into icy waters.

It's too late to do anything about it now however, she realizes steeling herself for whatever is yet to come. She's going to have to be prepared. Gathering her courage and her wits, knowing that she will need both, she heads after Adrien. The young woman speeds up, making the effort to catch up with him even although he plainly isn't slowing for her. At least this way they will appear externally to form something of a unified front, even if tonight, for whatever reason, they aren't. She wants to hold his hand but holds off from doing so. There's something about his attitude tonight which speaks of the fact that he wants to be anywhere else in the world but here.

When he enters the room, he doesn't even look at his parents. He just sits down and fixes the space in front of him wordlessly. Even Gabriel and Emilie seem to be taken aback by this particular show that he's putting on for them tonight. Thankfully, both seem to sense that their son isn't in the mood for a conversation.

In fact, they don't attempt to speak at all. The food comes up. For all that she knows that the Agreste family chef is a top class one, the food is bland in her mouth. Next to her, Adrien simply pushes it around the plate listlessly. Maybe from time to time he might stab a few peas and slip them into his mouth but that seems to be more from boredom than anything else. His head rests on his hands. There's a terrible amount of sorrow behind his orbs, more than should have been brought on at the sight of some steak and peas. It almost seems as if he might be about to start crying.

His emotional state wanders throughout the next half hour. She's been warned that he can suffer from mood swings before. It was Nathalie who told her. For the most part however, around her at least, Adrien seems to be relatively predictable. Up until now… Whilst he remains silent. She can see him shift between a profound sorrow to a raging anger which seems to burn away within him. It's made evident by a coldness which takes over. She can practically hear him grinding his teeth. She wants to reach out, to take his hand. Is she afraid of him? The girl suddenly finds herself wondering. She isn't… And yet she is. If they were alone, she would beg for him to calm down and come back to her. They aren't however and in the presence of his parents, she doesn't want her own fear to be too evident.

Finally, it's Emilie who speaks. She's been gazing at her son all evening. There's a clear amount of pain and regret behind her eyes. Seeing her son like this seems to be affecting her. When she does address him it's in a soft and gentle voice, tentative:

"What about inviting Nathalie round sometime?"

Adrien turns to face his parent. His face clouds over at the mere mention of the woman's name. He makes no attempt to conceal his rage. It's disproportionate. Marinette wonders if she's missed something here. Perhaps the subject has been raised before when she wasn't around. Whatever the case, it's clear that Emilie's words have had the exact reverse effect that she intended. He's mad in both senses of the word.

He moves too quickly for Marinette to be able to react.

In a flash, Adrien leaps to his feet startling everyone round the table. He reaches out and grabs for the glass of water in front of him. Initially, she assumes he's going to throw the contents at the woman. Instead, he flings the actual thing in his direction. Gabriel's reaction time is impressive if nothing else. Perhaps he sees what's going to happen before his son can act. Whatever the case, he grabs his wife by the sleeve and pulls her over towards him just in time to avoid the projectile. She lets out an alarmed cry. It crashes against the back of her chair, shattering instantly.

Marinette acts instinctively, fearing the worst. Without their miraculouses, Adrien is stronger than she is. So she slips her arms around his and pulls him in close, hoping to lock his limbs in place. It's probably a stupid thing to do. For all she knows, he could perceive it as an attack and respond in kind. Her presence barely even seems to register. His muscles are tense, ready to fight. This close, she can hear his heart thundering in his chest like a drum. His rapid breaths come out through teeth clenched so hard it feels as if they might be about to shatter. He's gone somewhere else and she doesn't know just where that is and if he'll come back.

All she knows is that this isn't the young man that she loves.

His gaze falls upon her. Then, very slowly, the anger begins to drain from behind his orbs. He comes back to her. Back to all of them, becoming aware of his surroundings once more. He sees what's happened, what he's done. The color drains from his face as he realizes just what he's done. His parents, startled by the outburst pick themselves back up. There's broken glass on the table and chair. A few seconds have no doubt spared his mother some unpleasant injuries. Although after a few moments, he spots just a single thin dribble of blood coming from a tiny cut somewhere on the back of the woman's forearm. It's only a tiny little scratch, barely anything. Still the crimson against her fair skin.

Adrien's legs buckle underneath him and he falls to his knees.

The word turns still. Marinette feels as if time has stopped. Adrien is dispondent. He's heavy in her arms. For all that, he can't quite manage to tear his eyes off of his parents. Emilie is quick to plaster a hand over her injury. Is she trying to alleviate the pain or simply conceal it from her son? It's impossible to tell. It's Gabriel who ends up breaking the silence. It's rage which fills his eyes as he turns back towards the teen:

"Adrien!" It's all that he can yell, unable to think of anything else which could get his outrage across appropriately. "You- You realize what you could have- Have you lost your mind?!"

"Gabriel..."

Emilie reaches out and takes her husband's arm, calming him somewhat. She shakes her head slowly, encouraging him to take a few breaths and think things over more clearly.

It all seems to fall on deaf ears. There are a few tears which make their way down the teen's cheeks. It's the only sign that he's even still conscious, otherwise he could have been mistaken for some form of living statue. His gaze is focused on those whom he had attacked, lost. Marinette rubs his back. She struggles in an attempt to bring him back. He's lost. Whatever had taken possession of him is gone. Strangely, it's a more familiar sight for her than what he'd been like moments before. She holds him close to her for a few moments and eventually he begins to shake.

Gabriel eventually chooses to approach, he stops a yard or so short of his son, looking down at the young man. There's a sternness behind his blue eyes, the parental side appears to have taken over him once more. Finally, Adrien raises his own watery and somewhat fearful gaze to meet that of the man.

"You're going to a doctor!" The man leaves no room for debate. "Until then, you are not to leave your room!"

"Mr. Agreste..." Marinette begins as she notices that Adrien fails to respond. "That's not fair."

"I didn't ask your opinion Marinette." The father turns his attention back to his son. "It's high time that we got you some professional help..."

Marinette looks back towards Adrien. Despite what's happened, she wants him to argue, to fight back and resist. Instead, he just kneels there defeated. It's like she's taken back to when he was fourteen, failing to convince his father to allow him to go to a party or that the villain Simon Says might actually pose something of a threat. Silently, she begs with him to protest, to try and stand up for himself.

Very slowly, the teen rises to his feet. He seems to be a little more in possession of his body and senses now. Still, his girlfriend fixes him with a certain amount of uncertainty. He offers her a slight smile. It's the sort that he'd perfected when he was fourteen and things were very much not alright. It fools her about as much as it does him. If anything, such fake actions are more troubling than anything else. He fails miserably at trying to convince her that everything's alright. She simply doesn't know how to react to it. He beats her to the punch:

"I'm sorry Marinette… Maybe it's best if you just go back home, okay?"

"Adrien..."

"I- I think I need some time alone. I'm really sorry..."

He doesn't provide her with much of an alternative, practically fleeing. He's quick to excuse himself, returning to his room. Effectively dumping her on the doorstep. She does her best not to take it personally, reasoning that he isn't in his right mind. It's the same reasoning which causes her to hold back from giving chase. She doesn't want to risk pushing him over the edge once more.

With Emilie eager to tend to her injury "before she makes a mess" it leaves Gabriel with the somewhat awkward task of escorting their guest, a young woman he had previously abducted to the door. With every step, Marinette finds herself getting over her shock. Instead, it's a feeling of injustice that mounts within her. Adrien hadn't been like this even a few months ago. This is their doing… She stops by the entrance. Hands balled into fists, ready to fight. She digs her heels in, refusing to take even one more step until some harsh but in her mind true words are spoken.

"This is your fault." She refuses to pull her punches. "You and Emile. You've made everything worse! Trying to mold him into your perfect son, it isn't who he is!"

"Perhaps you're right..." Gabriel's voice is softer than she had anticipated. The apparent absence of resentment takes her by surprise. "-But that doesn't change the fact that we're trying to help him. Good evening Marinette."

She could argue, try to get her point across a little further but a single look into the man's eyes is enough to dissuade her of such a course of action. She already deems Gabriel Agreste to be more or less beyond hope as far as reasoning is concerned… The girl lets out a shaky sigh before taking a few steps. This time tomorrow things will be clearer she reasons. She will know what to do. One thing is clear in her mind, she's no longer convinced that they will be able to wait out this particular storm.

There is a knock on Adrien's door a few minutes before midnight. His bedroom light is still on, a sign that in all likelihood he's still awake.

Whilst there is no response, his parents take the precaution of opening the door and peering in. They find their son, back pressed against the wall. The boy is holding onto his dog's collar, ensuring that he can't charge over to them. He looks towards them but says nothing. He's too tired to otherwise react. They won't get any more fight out of him. Still, both approach cautiously, weary should his temper flare once more.

"The doctor..." The teen mutters eventually after a while under their gaze. "Do I have to go? I-I didn't mean to."

"What about Marinette?" It's Emilie who speaks, her injury bandaged carefully. "What happens if she's the next one who says something you don't like?"

"No..." Adrien shakes his head slowly. "I'd never hurt her..."

"Adrien, I don't think that you want to hurt anyone, do you?" His mother's voice is soft and understanding. He shakes his head once more, it's easier than answering. "You just lash out. You lose control..."

Adrien looks away and down at his hands. He can't even remember throwing the glass. He knows that he did it but it wasn't an action which had required any forethought. He'd been angry. The rage had been boiling over for days and days, driving him mad little by little. It had found a way out and he'd released it. He can't even remember what exactly his mother had said to earn such a reaction. He only recalls Nathalie being brought up. Plagg tells him that he wasn't in the wrong. He wants to believe it but can't quite bring himself to do so.

He won't hurt Marinette.

Instead, exhausted, the teen raises his gaze to meet his parents:

"Okay… We'll do things your way..."