A/N: Soooo, I'm actually gonna say some stuff before getting onto the chapter.
Thing number 1, I'm changing where Celeste gets akumatised from her fan to her heart (You will know soon enough).
Thing number 2, chapters may be shorter from now as my school seems to supply a lot of homework and I barely have any free time.
Thing number 3, Christmas is soon! Meaning more time to update!*
That's about it, except from a special thanks for Rose Tiger for always reviewing!
So yeah, aside from that enjoy this chapter...
*P.S. (This is written around a week after starting this chapter) I'm on Christmas break now, giving me more time to update!
"So? Are you going to show me what we have in common?" Celeste asked her brow raised and arms folded across her chest.
She had arrived home with her mother not too long after leaving the heroes behind at the battle, and by now she was becoming skeptical. She had agreed to assist her mother, in return for understanding and a conclusion to what made the teen this way. Not to watch her mother tease her former friends and partners, while Celeste did all the hard work.
In fact, her mother hadn't done anything in the battle aside from teasing. She just stood there, watching as Celeste's sentimonsters worked their asses off to please the stone-cold woman.
But it didn't surprise the teen, not by much anyway, she had expected for her mother to be the same as Hawkmoth. Lazy and expecting: thinking they were the most intelligent beings on Earth, when really they relied on everyone.
Celeste sighed as she continued to wait for her mother's reply.
"Of course I am!" Lila smiled at her, "A deal's a deal, and I'm not like Hawkmoth. He promised the whole world to people, knowing fully well he couldn't deliver. But I can."
With that the female led her daughter up the staircase to the attic that was at the top of their home. The further up they went, the more Celeste began to feel a bad feeling brewing in her stomach. It felt as if the acid inside had leaked all over, burning and hissing as it made her queasy. She'd never been to this part of the house, knowing that her mother would punish her severely. It was the one rule that her otherwise lenient mother enforced.
"Do you know why I didn't want you up here?" Lila asked as she pushed open the hatch.
Celeste shook her head as she braced for dust to fall down, with the sudden shift from the hatch. To her surprise, no dust came. It was clean, as if the room was used regularly.
"I've been up here often," Her mother shrugged, reading her daughter's thoughts as she stepped into the room, "It's where I grow these."
A swarm of butterflies crowded around the young woman as she tenderly held them in her hands and observed their actions. The scene reminded Celeste of someone coming home from a long day at work to see their family. Being loved and appreciated, knowing someone wanted you around...
The teen couldn't help but feel her heart twinge with jealousy. It hurt. Her mother loved the butterflies more than her own daughter. Taking time and effort to grow and nurture these insects, more than her own flesh and blood. Something she hadn't even attempted to try.
Celeste sighed as she shook her head. Lila Rossi, didn't do anything without expecting something in return. She only treated the butterflies so well, because she needed them for her powers. That was why.
Then why did the teen still feel pain and anger as she stared at the scene before her?
Why did it make her blood boil to think of how affectionate her mother was towards the insects?
The teen clenched her fists as she grit her teeth. She'd just have to keep this bottled inside, like she always did. It was the only way for her to not lash out. The only way for her to keep control.
"So," Lila shooed the butterflies away and walked over to a box, "You really want to see why we're alike?"
"Yes?" Celeste looked at her mother, "That is why I agreed to help you."
"Well..." The young woman opened the box and pulled out a picture, "Are you sure you want to know? You might not want to hear the truth."
"I want to hear the truth," Celeste sat beside her mother, "I'm done with being left in the dark."
"Ok then..." Lila sighed as she stared at the picture, "It started long ago, back when I was a teenager. Just after I had you actually."
...
Lila walked into class, hearing the whispers of her classmates as she silently headed towards the back.
"Isn't she the one that-"
"I know. I feel so bad for her..."
"Why would you? She's obviously someone who can't keep their legs closed. She probably said she was raped to cover the truth."
"Real mature," Alix glared at the three gossiping teens and smiled at Lila, "I know for a fact that Lila isn't a hoe, and facts never lie. Plus, she went out with us that night. It was just wrong place, wrong time."
"Tell that to the baby she's got to look after," One of the teens snickered, "Why did she keep it? I would've aborted immediately."
"Oh you-" Alix rolled up her sleeves before being stopped by Lila placing her arm in front of her.
"At least I decided to take responsibility," Lila growled, her green eyes flashing with anger, "That's more than any of you can say."
The three teens whimpered as the brunette glanced at them for a final time before heading to her seat, a grimace on her face. That grimace was soon replaced with a smile as she spotted Adrien Agreste walk into the room. Of course she knew that he was taken by Marinette and they loved each other, but a girl can dream. And that's what Lila did.
She was friends with Marinette, but she knew that she wanted Adrien more than Marinette's friendship. However the only way to do that was to take matters into her own hands, even if it meant hurting those closest to her.
The teen's grip tightened on her pencil, until she heard a small 'snap!'. The two pieces fell to her desk and she groaned. She had to get her emotions under control, if she could fool everyone that she always had a poker face, then no-one would be able to tell what she was thinking. No-one could be able to manipulate her feelings again.
"Lila," Nooroo softly smiled at her, "You don't have to master emotion to fool everyone."
"I do Nooroo," The female spoke, "It's the only way. No-one can know my true intentions, not even my 'friends'. They don't know I'm faking this, they all think I'm on their side, but I'm not...Maybe I am selfish for thinking this, but I will separate Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng. No matter what it takes."
"Lila-"
The bell rang and the teacher walked into class, "Good morning everyone! Today we'll be reading Act 1 Scene 3 of Romeo and Juliet."
...
"Not long after I did as I said I would," Lila sighed as her eyes glistened, "I turned my back on everyone, pushing them away. Just so I could get what I want, what I still want. And that's what we have in common Celeste, we're both selfish. Selfish beyond reason and so much so that we lie, cheat, hide our feelings and hustle until we can get what we want. To either ourselves or everyone else..."
"No-No! No!" Celeste screeched as she moved as far away from her mother as she could, "I'm nothing like you! I've never cheated, never lied, never hustled! I-I...I..."
"If you're nothing like me, then why are you doing this?" Lila peered at her daughter, a glint in her eyes, "What broke your heart so much that you managed to get half an akuma to consume your mind?"
"I-I...It was..." Celeste trailed off as realisation hit her.
She was indirectly following her mother's example, doing whatever it takes to get what she wants. But what did she want? Her mother's love? To have endless playtime with Emma? No, that wasn't what she wanted. Not deep down. Deep down, she was tired. So tired.
Tired of being alone, tired of being second place. Tired of trying. Tired of everything. She wanted freedom, she wanted...Rest.
"I just need to think," Somehow the teen found her words as she backed away to the hatch, "I'll be fine in a few hours."
She then climbed through the opening and went to her room. Her mind raced as she locked the door and began to throw clothes and other odd things into her bag. She needed to escape before she lost sight of what she really wanted again. Her mother had made her forget about what she really desired, and that story had reminded her of what it was.
Celeste opened her bedroom window, before placing a few pillows to create the image of her sleeping in her bed.
She could feel her heart palpitating as the akuma side tried to break loose to feed information to her mother. The teen needed to clear her mind before her mother could see what she was really thinking. If she did it was game over.
Locking the mental cage the akuma was kept in extra tight, Celeste climbed through her window and shimmied down the drain pipe. Landing on the pavement and looking about, the teen smiled as she spotted a certain building. A trip to the Dupain's bakery should cheer her up.
Marinette and Alya awoke to find sunlight streaming through the window of the room they occupied. Both women were groggy and had had a rough night's sleep, constantly waking up if they weren't tossing and turning.
They wondered about how their husbands were doing. Whether they were ok. Every little thing plagued their minds.
The silence was broken by both female's stomachs growling. Both blushed immediately.
"You think there's food here?" Alya raised a brow.
"Probably," Marinette spoke as she peered about the room.
Now that it was lighter she could see that they were in an apartment. The room they were in was decored like a living room and she could spot the kitchen not too far down the hall.
"I think we're in an apartment," The bluenette turned to her friend.
"We should try the doors then," Alya jumped up from the couch and dashed down the hall, leaving a giggling Marinette.
"It's locked!" She growled and then there was a soft thud, "Of course."
Marinette chuckled at the brunette's reaction before heading towards the kitchen. If they were stuck in this place, they should at least eat something.
As the bluenette went through the contents in the cupboards and refrigerator, Alya walked in holding a groggy Percy and Emma.
"I may have woken them up," Alya smiled sheepishly.
All of a sudden, they heard the front door open and a few footsteps. Celeste's form soon appeared in the kitchen doorway and she gave them a slight smile.
"I know you guys probably don't want to see me..." She trailed off, "But I really need to talk to someone. I brought some treats!" She then held up the bag she was holding.
Both women eyed the teen as the two infants giggled.
"No, it's fine," Marinette smiled at Celeste before looking at her phone screen, "It's Emma's birthday..."
"It is?" Alya's eyes widened, "I thought it was tomorrow. It can't be the 15th today!"
"It is," Marinette breathed.
Celeste sighed as she listened to the two women go back and forth as they panicked. The teen looked down as she noticed a small tug at her skirt's hem.
"Emma? Percy?" The teen blinked before getting something from her bag, "Since it's Emma's birthday...she should have this!"
The teen produced a black cat stuffy and the birthday girl immediately squealed as Celeste handed it to her.
"And I think you would enjoy a cookie," Celeste smiled as she handed the other infant a chocolate chip cookie.
By now both women had calmed down and were staring in shock at the scene before them. Both infants were happily humming in content as the teen smiled down at them.
"How did you? When did?" Marinette was speechless.
"Girl, I think this one has a way with kids," Alya chuckled, "No wonder Emma trusted her to take her home, as well as Percy."
"That's true," The bluenette giggled, "It's still a shame that Emma's first birthday ended up like this."
"We always have next year," Alya smiled.
"Plus, I can buy a few things!" Celeste piped up, "Right now, I'm not exactly in my mother's good books. I haven't actually told her where I've put you guys."
"Are you sure that's a good idea Celeste?" Marinette peered at the teen, "We can look after ourselves. You don't have to risk it all."
"I always risk it all," The teen sighed, "That's probably why you gave me my miraculous, and now I'm at the halfway line. I'm not too evil but there's no redemption for me..."
Both women sighed as they looked at the teen. They could sense that she had a lot going on in her mind, so much that she was afraid to share it with anyone, scared that she'd be reprimanded or shunned for thinking in those ways.
The only thing they could do to comfort her was smile. So that's what they did, they gave her a smile to show her that everything would be ok.
Adrien was a mess. Nino wasn't doing much better. Both males were hurting, not on the outside but on the inside.
The last thing they'd ever expected to happen, was for both their wives and children to go missing. It was bad enough that there were multiple akumas and sentimonsters on the loose, but with the added stress and grief with finding their family as well...it was a lot.
Alix sighed as she looked at the two men. She could tell that they were broken, but they couldn't just sit there. If they did, then they could lose crucial time to find those who were missing and take down akumas.
The pinkette turned on the television to see that the news was already covering the story. She rolled her eyes as she turned it off.
"You two need to get up and do something," She looked at the two, "This isn't healthy. Marinette and Alya wouldn't want you two to be moping all day long, they'd want you to continue serving justice."
"Leave us alone Alix," Adrien mumbled.
"Yeah, you don't understand," Nino agreed.
"If anything, I understand the most," The female huffed, "But if your lazy asses aren't fixing this, then I will."
Alix then transformed and opened a burrow, "I'm gonna try fiddling with time. By the time I'm back, I want you two to actually do something not eat comfort food and mope about."
With that the rabbit themed heroine disappeared with her burrow, leaving the two grieving men alone.