A/N: Just a little something I forgot to mention, which is also canon, and might be confusing to people who are not European, or have heard of it being a choice before – Adrien has his miraculous on his right wedding finger, that's canon everyone, it's why in the previous chapter his promise ring is on the same finger. (Using the right wedding finger has the same symbolic reference as using the left!) Cue fangirl squeal.
Also, someone should have told me shortening "Marinette" to "Mari" in French means "marry". Oh well, that's taken care of hilariously in this chapter! (The shipping name for MariChat now makes me laugh because it legit means Cat Husband! Someone should have told me this earlier!) And because of this chapter, I needed to research to find out the word "mariticide" existed, and suited my means just fine. Still sick. I have no self-control over this story. Still haven't written a damn thing since I got the writer's block. Someone help.
This chapter was beta'd by Toxic Girlfriend (f.f & Tumblr).
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Summary: Aubri is a Bad Ass. Repeat. Aubri is a bad ass. Not a drill. Reference to Christmas Episode with the dining hall. Agreste Awkward Moment #1, featuring Adrien sneezing and Plagg being a little shit. Aubri can destroy and repair laptops, if anyone is interested. Aubri uses the Ladyblog as a timeline.
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Tell me you miss me, and I'll come home. I've been away from your heart for too long: say that you need me, and I'll fly home. Meet you somewhere between here and hope. They're burning the city and all we know the break is loud, but we don't let go. Something is coming, but I'll stay close. The sky is falling, but we still have hope. Hope by the morning we find a little life to get us by.
-Boy Epic
Part XIII
By the time she got down to the foyer, she was a little out of breath, but not enough to make the medi-bracelet she was wearing alarm, for a horde of doctors to swarm her. (That had happened the previous day, when she decided that they could go screw themselves, and walked by herself.) She knew how to regulate her breathing and heartrate, thank you very much.
From the foyer she needed to turn back around and go back up one and a half staircases to find her son's room.
So, she turned, and she felt the world come up to meet her when she saw the portrait looming above her.
It was her boys. She knew that. Her (good-for-nothing) husband, and her son.
Herson.
The teen that had been by her side since she woke up.
The teen that had bolted every time she asked about her son.
The teen that clearly was her son.
Screw keeping her heart rate in check! She bolted up the stairs to Adrien's room.
She panted as she slammed the door open.
It wasn't as she remembered.
But it was her son's room. If her son was older.
Which he clearly was. And absent. That too.
She guessed that he was staying somewhere else, or she hoped, seeing as his room was sparse with warmth. If it were sparse on purpose, heads would roll.
"Mrs Agreste!" A voice yelled in alarm, coming into the room were doctors, and a familiar face of Nathalie Sancoeur, the Agreste PA.
"You." She hissed, at them all. "Have a lot of explaining to do."
She had caused her son unnecessary grief because someone thought it would be a good idea to treat her like some wilting flower!
Nathalie just rolled with it, while the ignored doctors were staring at her dumbfoundedly. "Of course, Mrs. Agreste, this way and we can talk." She told her.
That was more like it. Nathalie, she could deal with. Doctors that she wanted to sink her knuckles into? Not so much (without a restraining order).
Nathalie took her to the dining hall, which was again, too large for its own good. When would they ever have enough people over to fill this damn space?! Maybe she could invite all of Adrien's friends over. He had to have several… Right?
Aubrianne took her custom seat and held out her arm with a glare to a following brave doctor. "Take this off, or I will remove it with a knife." She threatened.
It was amazing how fast the man worked.
She then looked to Nathalie, who like always, was multitasking between being present for Aubrianne and on her tablet/phone thing. (They had blown up in size, apparently).
"I want to know what the hell has happened." Aubrianne started lowly.
"That may take some time, Mrs Agreste." Nathalie started. "And not a story I know fully." She advised.
Aubrianne sat back in her chair, folded her arms, and seethed quietly.
"Well, look at the time, you're being paid, and I'm not going anywhere." She stated.
Nathalie nodded. "Yes, Ma'am. I'll tell you what I know, and how you came to be here." The woman told her.
Ah, at least they were off to a good start.
Nathalie was right. She had no idea. She had basically told her what she could remember, and that her vision was right, like usual. "You're literally stating that you have no idea what happened next." Aubrianne told her.
Nathalie sighed. "I am aware." She replied.
"No one knows what happened after?" She asked, glaring at the doctors, who reared in panic again.
"They are being paid to get you better, not to ask for the reason." Nathalie told her. "There were two that rescued you, but they are no longer present to ask." She continued. By that, Aubrianne could gather they weren't alive anymore to ask.
"My condolences." She murmured, and noted the odd look Nathalie gave her.
The glare Aubrianne gave the lingering doctors, once she realised they no longer served a purpose, forced them to unwillingly file out. Once they were gone, there was a flash of purple. Aubrianne blinked at seeing her kwami just randomly appear in sight of another, nor was she aware she was even wearing her brooch! Which she was, now she was looking for it (someone had thought to hide it under her jacket).
"Aubri!" Pyaar said happily, flying around her and hugging her cheek.
"Pyaar! There's…!" Aubrianne looked to Nathalie in alarm. Nathalie was blinking but didn't seem alarmed at the sight of the little god appearing. All for it, it looked as if Nathalie suddenly understood. She wasn't sure she should be grateful or not.
Pyaar seemed happily enough to fly over to the fruit bowl, disappearing from view, possibly trying to find cheese amongst the fruit.
"No, seriously, Plagg, no." A hurried voice came in closer, Nathalie turned to the nearest door, while Aubrianne stopped breathing. "You can't…!" A figure phased through the door, said door banged open revealing Adrien rushing through it, "PLAGG!" only for both to pause wide eyed staring at her in rising fear.
Nathalie cleared her throat, and Adrien woke up, leaping to catch a black ball, in alarm. He blinked, edging back the way he came nervously. "Uh…" He voiced.
Aubrianne forgot to breathe.
This was her son. He had been with her the entire time.
" Poussin!" Pyaar cried, flying out from the fruit bowl.
"Pyaar!" Adrien cried, only serving to fuel Aubrianne's confusion as the peafowl made a beeline for her son. Pyaar stopped too close, sending Adrien into a sneezing fit that made him unwillingly let go of the black ball while doing so, which sent it flying.
Aubrianne looked to Nathalie for answers.
"Pyaar, what are you doing out here?!" She heard Adrien hiss, he looked like he was trying to figure out how to get close to the bird without it sending him sneezing, while he kept sending her nervous wary glances.
"Looks like she's out and about, dude." The black ball talked.
Adrien gave it a look. "Not helping. Hide." Adrien hissed.
The black ball shrugged and certainly didn't do what Adrien asked it to.
Adrien looked to him pleadingly. "I don't want to be the one that needs to explain this to her. Please, just do as I ask!" Adrien pleaded.
Aubrianne realised that Adrien didn't know she knew him as her son (finally) and was treating her as such. He was ready to run as soon as possible. She noted painfully he was the one she always asked to find himself. She caused this flight or fight response, and he had clearly chosen flight.
He stalled when she jumped up in her haste to correct her mistake. He marked her warily, and backed away, looking from her to Nathalie in confusion, while taking hold of the black ball again (Aubrianne noticed that it was an actual kwami. Who it belonged to, she had yet to determine), and Pyaar and held her behind his back as far as he could so he wouldn't sneeze and backed up more.
"Adrien…" Aubrianne called.
He just stared at her in incomprehension, as if he couldn't understand French.
"It's okay. I know." She tried.
He just blinked at her warily, as if he didn't believe her.
"Hey, kid, let me go, you hear!" She heard the black kwami say in annoyance.
Adrien let him go, not taking his eyes off her, as well as letting Pyaar go, who drifted around Adrien in calculated space that wouldn't spark Adrien off.
"Adrien…" She called, again, a little nervous at how he was reacting.
Before she had time to react he swivelled his head around to face where he came from. "MARI!" He yelled.
Well, that was downright confusing. He didn't need to yell the word marry down the hall.
But she would take what she could get. He could talk at least.
Another teen ran in, stalled seeing her, like she was a ghost, then turned to Adrien.
"You okay?" She asked, then caught sight of Pyaar. "Pyaar!" She squealed.
Pyaar flew around Adrien and hugged her. " Coccinelle!" Pyaar yipped happily.
Well, that was even worse. She didn't even look like a ladybug!
And how the hell did these two kids know about Pyaar!?
She looked at Nathalie, who stood, unaffected. "The hell is going on?" She asked.
Both children flinched.
"Are we in trouble?" The girl whispered, but she heard anyway.
"No clue. There are no doctors to yank me out. Who knows." Adrien whispered back.
"That would be because I sent them away." Aubrianne told them, finally having enough of chit chat she couldn't follow.
She inwardly groaned when the two flinched. Too harsh. Tone down.
They could wait for a minute, she looked back to Nathalie.
"First question. Where the hell is Gabriel?" She asked, with a tone of hate, and noted all flinches, Nathalie's included.
"He would be in jail." The female told her.
Well, that made mariticide rather hard.
"Good." Then she paused. "Wait, who is looking after you?" Aubrianne raged.
Adrien blinked. "Wait, you know who I am?" He asked.
She noted he searched for the girl's hand blindly, and it was received. She could look at that in detail, later.
Aubrianne nodded. Adrien looked as if he didn't know where to put himself.
"Second question," Perhaps giving him time would help. Damn it, it would help her! She could be practical when she needed to be! "How did he end up there?" She would get back to who was caring for him when he looked as if he hadn't swallowed his tongue.
The girl gave her son a sidelong glance. "That happened when us from the future came and stopped him." She noted, seeing Adrien clamming up.
Aubrianne blinked. Well, that was confusing. But it made sense, with the whole the two who rescued you are no longer present. Nice choice of wording there, Nathalie.
She gave Nathalie a look, which was received and understood.
"Wait, how did they do that?" She questioned. It wasn't like Gabriel to go down quietly. He would have had a kwami under his control.
"Um…" She stumbled.
The black kwami chuckled. "Did the part where they know kwami not tip you off?" He asked.
Aubrianne mentally groaned. God, damn it, she was looking at the civilians of Ladybug and Chat Noir. And she was going to figure out how she could commit mariticide in a high-security prison!
She glared at Nathalie. "Right, Nathalie. Find out how I can commit mariticide without being caught." She ordered.
Nathalie blinked but didn't react while the black kwami laughed its head off.
"I like her!" He yelled.
"I'm glad you approve!" Adrien retorted.
"Okay, can we get to the part where Adrien hugs me, or are you too old for hugs now…?" Aubrianne asked, literally having no idea how old her son was. He could literally be that age where all boys think hugs are icky.
Then again, maybe not. She watched her son come alive and launch himself at her, and into her arms.
" Maman." He murmured to her, nuzzling into her in comfort.
It made her smile. "Hello there, mon petit Poussin." She whispered back.
"Now we know where Pyaar gets it from." She heard and ignored.
"Plagg!" The other hissed.
She would need a name. That could be next question, following what their relationship was, followed by who the hell was caring for her son, and how old he was.
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The internet was a fascinating place. It was faster than she remembered too. She had found through the French news that they got most of their coverage of her late Husband through a blog (the hell is a blog?) called the Ladyblog.
So, she started at the beginning, and away she went.
She became increasingly more uncomfortable as she went.
"Nathalie…?" Aubrianne called. Nathalie looked up from her work, as Aubrianne looked up from her pilfered laptop. (Hell, what was yours is mine right? That was what marriage was about.)
It hadn't taken her long to find one of Gabriel's laptops, restart it, rework it, and call it her own. She was good. Though, she did stop to ask Adrien if she could go through Gabriel's things. He gave her that kind of are-you-kidding-me look and the go ahead.
Gabriel had turned paranoid after her leaving.
Though, she did find out Adrien had turned fifteen without her, (wasn't that hard to find the correct date when it literally flashed at her when she rebooted the computer). He had been by himself for two years.
"Yes, Ma'am?" Nathalie asked.
Aubrianne's eye twitched. She would smash something the next time someone called her that!
"You know my name, use it." Nathalie flinched but nodded. "You're sure there's no way I can murder without getting away with probable cause?" She questioned again, seeing another school child getting used, and Adrien getting out of dodge.
"I have researched thoroughly, Ma… Aubrianne." Nathalie told her.
Aubrianne smiled. Progress was progress.
She heard a yelp off to the side and turned to see Mari-with-a-longer-name-than-that freezing once she came into the room, for something or other. Aubrianne learnt very early on, this girl could come and go as she pleased. She didn't want to suffer her son's puppy dog eyes and pout combination look, like the one she suffered through when she asked about her coming's and going's. It was if he was thinking she would put a stop to it, just by asking about it. It was then she knew how much damage Gabriel had on him.
"Sorry!" She shrieked. It was hard to see that the girl in front of them was, in fact, the Ladybug that was saving the day in the video Aubrianne had paused.
"I'm not used—people here—Adrien…?" She stuttered out.
Aubrianne blinked in confusion. What did this child want?
"I'm afraid Adrien is not here, currently." Nathalie answered for her.
That was what she was asking for?!
"Oh…" She slumped.
"I believe he is out with Nino. He doesn't have a new number yet." Nathalie continued. Aubrianne would get to why Adrien needed a new number, shortly. She couldn't even ring up her own son, damn it. But the reason was apparently in this blog. And she would see that soon enough. The blog may as well serve as a timeline to help her catch up.
Mari-with-a-longer-name perked up at that and pulled out her phone. "Hey, Nino! Give me Adrien!" There was a lull. " Minou…!" She near on yelled.
That was surprising.
" I'm in trouble! Nino! Cover!" She heard her son yell in good fun.
"Nino, you will tell me where you guys are." Mari seethed.
" Oh, look, at that! Gotta go! BYE!" The other boy yelled.
Mari clucked her tongue, then looked back to them, bowed, then bolted out the room. "Sorry for bothering you Adrien's Maman!" She yelled as she did so.
Aubrianne blinked at the name she had been given. It was better than Ma'am, so much so she burst out laughing, and went back to her time-stream videos.
Aubrianne sighed as she leant back against her seat and folded her arms.
Nathalie, hearing her, presented herself to hear her mistress out.
"Okay…So… The two from the future were Chat Noir and Ladybug," Aubrianne started, sorting out what she already knew, and seeing the first actual video on the blog that featured them.
"That is correct." Nathalie confirmed.
"Not a trick, they were actually here?" Aubrianne questioned.
Nathalie nodded. "I talked to them face to face, it was because of them being brought here, we were able to get you back." She told her.
Aubrianne looked to the paused image thoughtfully looking at the two time-travellers. "Am I speaking about the elephant in the room when I ask who the father is?" Aubrianne asked, and watched Nathalie blink as if she had no clue what Aubrianne was talking about. "That would be the elephant in the room, then." She muttered and went back to her video.
Before too long, she was going through recent-by-date videos.
"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Ladybug yelled, so much that Aubrianne nearly freaked and jerked out her headphones at the time traveller yelling and appearing so suddenly. "Enough." She ordered the irate children, having come between them and Adrien, next to her Chat Noir, landing on his feet.
"What're you all angry about? What're you all doing right now?This," Chat gestured to them all with his extended baton angrily. " This will not help." He told them defensively.
He literally needed to defend everyone from hurting himself. That must have been odd, for both of them.
"What are you doing here!?" One angry pre-teen asked.
Ladybug literally rolled her eyes. "We come from the future, duh." She told them.
"Then why not stop him earlier!?" Another yelled.
"Yes, let's hypothesise this, shall we! If we went to the police and informed them of who Papillon was, without evidence, mind you, would they have believed us?" Chat Noir hissed.
He had a good point. Plus, one for her son.
Chat Noir hissed then he angrily slammed down one end of his baton; its clap of thunder reverberating around the yard loudly and angrily. "You, any of you, have no right to hold anger against him," Chat pointed a claw to Adrien defensively. "You, all of you, direct your anger appropriately, or do I need to let a certain Lady here cage you all, until the police get here?" Chat threatened.
Aubrianne was literally clapping, and sent Nathalie up from her work in question of the clapping was for her, but seeing that Aubrianne hadn't looked at her, she went back to work.
"Ladybug! Ladybug!" Alya screamed. Ladybug looked around, seeing her, jumped down, Chat following.
"Hey there!" She greeted back to the reporter, while Chat Noir gave a wave.
"Did you hear the news about the court date?" Alya questioned.
Aubrianne sat up and leant in closer. Court date. That was recent.
Ladybug and Chat nodded. "We heard, we'll be there, don't worry! We're just letting Paris know!" Ladybug told her brightly.
"Have you thought about what you two are going to do now…?" Alya asked.
"Ladybug! Chat Noir!" A police officer yelled, turning the conversation. "The major wants you!" He said.
That sounded official!
"Hey there, peeps! Alya here!" Alya said, in front of her own camera. "Just a little update that there only needed to be one day in court. So, no more free days off for us! It was the result that Gabriel didn't fight his might-as-well-be life in prison sentence. This reporter was actually invited to the court! Thanks, Adrien! I'll leave the love for you, up to Mari. I was allowed to give this update from Adrien, he said I could tell ya. And please, again, please don't bother him. He hasn't done anything wrong!" Alya persisted.
That was very true. Were people hating Adrien for what Gabriel did?
"Alya here again just received news that Ladybug and Chat Noir are chasing down terrorists that blew up the bank complex on the river! They're in pursuit!" Alya told her followers, in excitement.
"Young lady, get out of here!" An officer yelled at her.
"Yikes!" She yelled.
There was clearly a cut between the two scenes, as now Alya looked a little sad, and in a different place.
"Hey, guys, just to let you know that the two older Ladybug and Chat Noir have travelled back to their own time. They were wicked! But, it seems that our regular Ladybug and Chat Noir will now be joining forces with the police to tackle crime head on that doesn't revolve around evil butterflies!" Alya reported.
That was alarming.
"Nathalie," She started.
Nathalie looked up again from her work. "Yes?"
"Who was looking after Adrien while I was comatose?" She asked.
Nathalie blinked. "He was free between myself and the Dupain-Cheng residence." She told her.
The who and the what.
"The parents of Miss Marinette." Nathalie elaborated, seeing her blank face.
"Oh!" She could have just said that, and she would have understood that much quicker. She did a quick search with the name. They owned a business. Huh. Whelp. At least, half the name sounded familiar. Perhaps someone that went to school with her? If so, that made things so much more easier.
"Nathalie. I'm going out!" She said, standing up and closing the laptop. Nathalie knew better than to tell her not to. Even if she wasn't cleared to be walking.
Time to meet the in-laws.