Note: Sorry, it's been so long. I've been busy and tomorrow is our son's birthday. Anyway, thank you for reading, commenting, favoriting, and following this story. :)

Marinette pulled up in front of the Agreste mansion and parked. She gripped the steering wheel and took in the massive house from her side window. She took a deep breath and pressed down her pink skater dress with shaking hands. Marinette had tried to look her best for his father. She had never met the man and she didn't want to start off wrong. She turned the key in the ignition and unbuckled her seat belt. Marinette got out of the car and headed up the staircase to the front door.

She knocked on the heavy double doors and they opened. A woman with dark blue hair and a hot pink streak stood there with a tablet in her arm. "Bonsoir. He is waiting for you." She stepped out of the way and Marinette slipped past her. As far as she knew, he didn't know that she would be the one to show up.

A man in a white suit stood at the top of the stairs. His hair was slicked back and almost silver in hue. Her knees shook as she peered up at him. She noticed how his hands were behind his back as he walked down the steps. "I believe I asked for my son. Not some random girl in a fancy car."

"Bonsoir, Monsieur Agreste. Je m'appelle, Marinette." She tried to put on a brave smile, but it was slipping. "I- I wanted to meet you. You see I've been dating your amazing son and well- um." She touched her chin with a shaking hand. "I guess I was wondering why there is this wall between you?" She waved her hands in front of her face. "I mean, I know it's none of my business, but I was just curious. Not curious." She hit herself in the head with her fist. "I was worried, Monsieur. About not just Adrien, but you. Trixx seemed to really be concerned. Um."

Gabriel looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "You? Dating my son?" He really shouldn't be surprised, but something about it shocked him. He had always thought that he would fall for some model or actress, but this girl… Tikki's girl… of all the woman in France. "Look, why would my son… want anything to do with an errand girl?"

"Well, where should I start…" Marinette thought for a moment. She really would rather be sitting down to tell him everything, but she could tell he didn't want to give her the satisfaction.

Gabriel sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "How about we talk in the parlor? I need to sit down anyway." He walked past her and she followed him to another room.

Adrien walked into their kitchen to grab a glass of water. He had a white towel draped around his neck and his hair was damp from the shower. Dark blue jeans sat low on his hips and his torso was bare. The cream colored tile was cold against his bare feet. He sighed and the pink stationary on the white, country chic, kitchen island caught his eye. He picked it up and his hand shook as he read it. Adrien's heart pounded against his ribcage and took his breath from him. "No. She didn't." He read it over again and again, hoping that he had been wrong. That he had been dreaming.

Dear Kitty,

I know things aren't perfect between you and your father. I know that they never have been and I want to try and understand it. I want to try and help. So, I'm going to go to the address that Trixx provided. I want to learn more about your past and your relationship with your father. Maybe I can fix it. I want you to be happy. I hope you didn't do anything too reckless while you were out pouncing around buildings. I love you. I'll be home soon.

Your love bug,

Marinette.

He crumpled it in his hand and grit his teeth in a low growl. Adrien stomped into their bedroom and threw on a black deep v-neck tee, before he threw on tennis shoes and grabbed his car keys.

The room was massive and a beautifully crafted loveseat sat in the parlor across from two matching arm chairs. The walls were black and white marble, while the floors were white and pristine.

"Sit, sit." Gabriel motioned to the loveseat and she brushed her dress beneath her as she sat down. "Tell me how you met my son. What's he been up to? What's he like now?"

"Well, I was working for Ti-" Marinette began, but the door flew open to reveal a seething Adrien.

"Don't tell him anything else!" Adrien's voice echoed off the walls and a devilish smile crossed his father's lips.

"Look who decided to show up. A husk of my old son." Gabriel smirked at his child and crossed his arms over his chest.

Adrien rolled his eyes. "I've been avoiding you for years… but it seems it can't be helped." He sat down next to Marinette and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Adrien pulled her close to him and held her like she was his possession and his alone. He wouldn't let anything happen to her.

"Left me to work for Plagg and his girl. My own flesh and blood." Gabriel spit out the last word and Adrien growled at him.

"I wasn't going to take over your business. And when you go? I'll spit on your grave like you did to mother's." Adrien bit out and Marinette looked over at him horrified.

"Did you not tell her? Adrien… I'm surprised at you." Gabriel smiled at him and looked at his nails. "You didn't tell your girl anything about me or you, did you?"

"Stop it." Adrien hissed at him with a dark expression. "I have nothing to do with your little show. Mother wanted nothing to do with it and I don't either."

"What are you talking about? What is he talking about?" Marinette was confused.

"I'm the kingpin of Paris, my dear. I own Plagg, Tikki, and everything else that you work for. I am the man they fear. The man that they serve. My son here ran off when he didn't want to take my throne. The little pussy." He glared at his own son, who turned away from his gaze. "Can't even bother to look at his own father. I thought I raised you better than that. You were stealing cars before you could walk with your mother and I. Don't you remember, Adrien? Remember stealing that shiny red sports car when you were three and how excited you were as we outrun the cops."

"STOP IT! THAT'S NOT ME!" Adrien gripped his blonde hair in his fists and shook his head.

"Your father is the man that took Plagg hostage?" Marinette's eyes went wide as she put two and two together. Adrien shuttered and brought his knees to his chest. "What else are you hiding, Adrien?"

"Oh… a lot I'm sure. Aren't you, Chat Noir?" Gabriel brought in his alter ego and it stabbed Adrien in the chest. "How about how he used to murder people for me? Hm? Well, helped. Did you tell her that? A little boy… distracting people and luring them into an alley for my disposal. How your mother hated that I would do that… rest her soul." His expression became more and more sinister and it began to scare Marinette. She quickly grabbed onto any courage that she had and clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white.

"He was little! He wouldn't know any better! Your the parent, HIS FATHER! He was innocent. IS INNOCENT!" Marinette began to realize why she had never been told anything about him. Why he had kept it all from her. And that 'killer' was falling apart next to her on the couch, cuddling into her side, hiding his face, trembling. A man, who was perfect at stealing cars and standing up against hard ass criminals was brought to his knees by his own father. It was wrong. So wrong and it hurt her. Broke her to see him so low. "HE WAS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY! I UNDERSTAND WHY HE WOULDN'T TELL ME ABOUT YOU! ABOUT ANY OF THIS! BECAUSE YOU ARE A SORRY EXCUSE FOR A FATHER. No, not a father. You were NEVER one in the first place!" She pointed at Gabriel and yanked Adrien to his feet. "KILL ME WHERE I STAND, IF YOU WANT! BUT I'M TAKING YOUR SON OUT OF HERE! DON'T EVEN BOTHER CALLING TRIXX! SHE WON'T TELL YOU ANYTHING!"

Adrien stumbled behind her, lost in his thoughts. Spiralling further and further into a deep darkness of black ink.

She got him to sit in the passenger side of his car. She could handle losing hers, but she knew that he wouldn't do well if he lost his baby. She dug in his pocket for his keys and pulled them out, wading through them until she found the one for his car.

He sat in silence with his eyes clenched tight as she started the car. He was scared that if he opened them. If he even peered over at Marinette...she'd be gone. She'd be a dream. He thought that she had walked out as soon as his father had opened his mouth. As soon as she had found out what his family was. And if she was there… she'd only leave as soon as he stepped foot in their home. He'd lose her forever and then he'd disappear too.

"Adrien. ADRIEN!" Marinette shook his shoulders when she parked at their apartment. "HEY! Come back to me! ADRIEN!"

He got lost in the sounds of crashing cars and squealing breaks. Got lost in the sounds of his father's laughter and the smell of bullets, the sounds of guns. The sharp crack of a gun being cocked and the smooth sound of the bullet burying into flesh.

"Baby." Marinette touched his face and wiped the tears that fell from his closed eyes. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here. You're home. We're home. You're safe. Just open your eyes. Listen to my voice." She pressed her lips to his and he gasped, coming back.

His eyes flew open and he looked at her. He blinked a few times to make sure that she was really there. "Home?"

Marinette nodded and held him close. She tangled her fingers into his soft hair and didn't let him go. He slowly raised his hands to hold onto her as he breathed in her strawberry scented hair. She was there. Really there. He wasn't dreaming.

"You're here." He breathed her in and shook as more tears took him over.

"I've been here. I drove us home." She was confused by his words, but right now she was just glad to have him back. "Let's just get inside. Okay, kitty?"

Adrien nodded and undid his seatbelt. He opened his door and followed her inside of the building. They took the elevator up to their floor and Marinette opened their door. He walked in after her and went to go to their bedroom.

"Wait. Um…" Marinette worried her bottom lip and he stopped in his tracks, his shoulders slumped and shivered. "How about a distraction?"

Adrien slowly turned to face her with swollen sunken-in eyes. Dark rims ran beneath his dull green eyes and he watched her smile for him. His eyes followed her as she slipped her pink apron over her head and tied it behind her back, kicking off her shoes.

The sounds of her metal baking sheet rang out in the kitchen as she pulled it from a cabinet and set it on the stove. He watched her turn the oven on to a certain temperature. She hummed a soft melody as she took out a big mixing bowl and the ingredients to make chocolate chip cookies.

His eyes widened as he took her in. She pulled a green box from the pantry and set it on the counter. "I made this for your birthday, but I'm willing to give it to you now." She smiled up at him.

Adrien walked up to the island and opened the box. Inside was a black apron with bright green words on it. He ran his thumb over the fabric as he held it out to read it. "Most Catastrophic Cook." He suddenly burst out laughing and she giggled at his reaction. "You know me so well."

She pushed the flour towards him with a measuring cup. "I need two and a 1/4 cups, please."

Adrien tied the apron around his waist and nodded. "Of course, Bugaboo."

He measured out the flour and ran his finger along it to level it out. She pushed the bowl closer and he dumped it into the creamed mixture. "Merci, Chaton." She leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

She mixed in the other ingredients and he helped her place round balls of dough onto the baking sheet. Marinette turned towards the oven to put them in and he quickly stuck some in his mouth from the bowl with a spoon. "I saw that…"

He smiled with his eyes clenched shut and rubbed the back of his neck.

"You can steal cars… but you can't steal cookie dough without me knowing." Marinette winked at him and he stole some more in front of her and hummed in bliss with the spoon still between his lips.

"I miss being in the kitchen with my mother as a little kid. I loved it. It was the one time that I could pretend that we were normal." He sighed and set the spoon down onto the counter.

"Sounds wonderful." Marinette walked around the island and grabbed his hands into hers. She peered up at him with a warm smile. "Want to go… lay down for a bit on the couch while those bake?"

"I'd love that." Adrien followed her to the couch and laid down. He put one hand behind his head, while she crawled on top of him. She ran her hands through his hair, while he held her with his free arm.

"You know I'd never leave you, right? No matter what you tell me? I could never leave you. You mean too much to me. I don't care who your father is. I don't care about what you have done." Marinette watched the pain filter back into his eyes. "You're still the most amazing man that I have ever met." She brought her lips down to his and he sighed as she pushed all of her love into her touch.

Song I wrote this to (mostly):

Hush Hush by Avril Lavigne