Nathalie grabbed her tablet and scrolled furiously through Adrien's schedule, long red fingernails clacking against the screen. The hours and activities flew past her, reflecting lights off of her glasses.
What could it be?! She asked herself, intensely staring at Adrien's schedule for today, the 22nd of November.
It was normal. Nothing strange, nothing out of the ordinary - no amazing grade he could have gotten, no girlfriend to speak of that could have made his day...
And Thanksgiving was in two days. Every holiday was an emotional roller coaster for Adrien since the disappearance of his mother but this! This was so strange.
"What could it be?" She whispered under her breath, very confused and above all, suspicious. Adrien was no friend to his body guard and strict security. Should this thing be a newly found freedom or liberty...
She laid the tablet down and went to tell Adrien that his father would not make it to dinner tonight. It was true, but also the perfect way to test his mood. Even the most happy day could be ruined by the news that his father was too busy for him.
She stood and straightened her black slacks. Presentable as always, she took a deep breath and opened the door to the large dining room. The table was long and inviting, but looked lonely with Adrien's solitary plate and meal. The lights had been dimmed, and the gray walls and dark carpet made the hall look dismal and despairing.
And so Adrien, who was watching an adoption video on his phone and smiling for all he was worth, looked out of place in the gloomy room.
"Aw look Nathalie," said Adrien, taking another bite of his dinner and pointing at the video. "That little girl had her birthday and her parents surprised her by telling her that they are adopting her!" He sighed happily. "What a feeling. They aren't your parents, yet they love you all the same? Wow. So great."
She stared at him, absolutely unraveled by his mood.
"Ahem," she cleared her throat, smoothing her jacket as she did when she was nervous. "Your father is unable to come to supper, Adrien. You needn't wait for him."
"Ok," said Adrien distractedly, selecting another video YouTube suggested about a child from China being picked up by his new parents.
Nathalie stared. "Adrien, did you hear me?"
"Yeah," said Adrien, looking at her with a smile. "It's ok. I know he's busy."
Everything in Nathalie wanted to grab Adrien by the shoulders and shake him, demanding he explain his mood. But she didn't. With a curt nod, she said professionally "Have a good night, Adrien."
"Thank you, Nathalie," he said.
Right as she was leaving, Adrien suddenly said "Nathalie, can I go to a friend's house for Thanksgiving?"
Nathalie froze. Could it be...?
She turned slowly, pulling out her phone and looking at her calendar. "I think so, Adrien," she said slowly, warning bells nearly deafening her in her head. His father won't want any part of Thanksgiving, just like every other year. But if Adrien has a new friend who is sympathetic to his restrictive lifestyle...he is totally absorbed by those adoption videos, after all...could he actually be thinking of running away or bringing his case to social services? Maybe even giving himself up for adoption?
I need to look into the laws about adopting.
"But I will need their name, address, phone, and menu by tomorrow," she said, throwing a few hoops in the deal. If she was going regret this, she would make sure that someone else would regret it too.
Adrien sighed. "Whatever you say, Nathalie," he said, turning again to the video.
Nathalie eyed him a moment longer, then added the event in her calendar. "By tomorrow, Adrien."
"Or right now," said Adrien nonchalantly, and laid a piece of paper on the table. "Her name is Marinette, and her mother invited me over. She's my friend that went to the hospital with the flu, remember? Sabine said that she could use a friend right now, and Father won't come down for dinner."
Nathalie picked up the paper that Adrien had laid on the table, uneasy. Adrien had already thought she would ask that?
He's determined to go, she thought, tucking the paper into her pocket. The information was remarkably detailed, and perhaps as a rebellious move Adrien had even hand drawn a map of the block where the bakery stood.
The uneasy feeling she had now was the same as when Adrien had insisted on going to school. He had an unsettling intensity masked by his sweet charm and kindness.
"Good night Nathalie," Adrien said, standing. "I'll see you tomorrow."
That tone...she thought, her heart dropping to her toes. He sounds just like his father.
She had been noticing his maturity. He was taller than she was now, and his broad shoulders and chisled jawline were very manly. It amazed her how innocent he was, deep inside the man he was becoming. His deepening voice was a reminder of the young Gabriel she'd met years ago.
"Goodnight, Adrien," said Nathalie. She left the dining room, feeling lost in her thoughts. Thoughts of his mysterious behavior, his age and maturing, and this mysterious friend of his plagued her mind. What could this mean? She'd known he'd grow up; only learn more tricks of how to evade them and live his life how he wanted to…
That was it. She looked over her shoulder at the door to the dining room, feeling a pang of sorrow.
Adrien was growing up.
"I wonder," she whispered to herself, turning on the lockdown of the house for the night. "How long until he's old enough to figure it out on his own?"
Marinette woke up to the strangest thing she'd ever seen. As her long eyelashes batted open, and her pupils shrunk in response to the white light of the hospital room, she saw Tikki, her kwami, laughing at something that Sabine, her mother, had said.
Marinette stared groggily at them for a few seconds before they noticed her. I must be dreaming, she thought calmly. She closed her eyes and then opened them again, but the scene hadn't changed.
"Mari!" cried Tikki, and flew to her miraculous holder. "I'm so happy you are awake! How do you feel?!"
"Uh…" was all Marinette said. She tried to sit up a little, then fell weakly back against the pillow. "I feel sick. But…why are you talking to Mama? Is this a dream?"
Sabine sat on the bed and laid a gentle, motherly hand on her daughter's forehead. "Your fever is going down," she said with a grin. "Sweetheart, there are some things that me and Tikki both need to tell you."
"Mama," said Marinette suddenly, groggy mind waking. She stared intensely at her mother, putting two and two together. "YOU were Ladybug while I was - "
Sabine laid a hand on Marinette's, patting her hand gently. "Yes sweetie," she said, laughing. "Like I said, we have a lot to talk about."
"But before that," said Tom, waking in, "you have some mail."
Marinette stared at the scene. Tikki, hovering near her, in the presence of her smiling parents, and the card her father held out that said:
"To Marinette - from Adrien"
Marinette took the card in her hands, looked at each face in the room, gave a strange little laugh and -
"She fainted!" Gasped Tom.
"I think we overwhelmed her," exclaimed Sabine, and left to get a nurse.
Tikki rubbed Marinette's cheeks, slowly rousing the unconscious girl. "Mari, come on!" She encouraged. "Wake up!"
"Hide!" Warned Tom, and Tikki hid under the bed while the nurse entered the room.
"I think she just fainted," said Sabine as they walked quickly in. "We showed her a card from her sweetheart, and I think she was a little shocked."
"Poor thing," said e nurse. She patted Marinette's cheeks and said "Marinette!" loudly.
Marinette's eyes opened and she stared at the nurse. "Wha...am I awake now? I dreamed that my crush sent me a card and..." she trailed off as she felt the card still laying in her hands.
"Not dreaming sweetie," said Tom with a grin, winking at her.
"How do you feel?" Asked the nurse.
"A little light headed," whispered Marinette, staring at the card. "But there's nothing you can do for that."
"Ok," said the nurse, laughing. "If you can't stay conscious for the card, then as a nurse I'd advise you not to read it."
She turned to Sabine and Tom. "Let her test before anymore life-changing news. I'd say give her about 24 hours before telling her anything crazy."
Sabine and Tom looked at each other, winced, then agreed. "Ok miss," said Sabine. "I guess all our news will have to wait."
As the nurse left, Tikki came out from under the bed.
"Ok," she said, her little voice hinting at her amusement. "I guess we'll tell you everything later, Marinette." Tom took the card from her hands and put it tenderly on the pile of cards on the table.
"But..." began Marinette. Sabine smiled at her daughter and laid a finger against her lips, silencing her protest.
"What do you want to watch?"