Chapter Eighteen

Adrien was deep in thought as they descended the steps outside of the mansion. He unconsciously reached for Marinette's hand as he considered the implications of his father having both the peacock miraculous and the book. Whatever Gabriel's intentions had been, Adrien suspected they weren't good. Perhaps the peacock miraculous didn't yield the power he'd needed as Hawkmoth. Or maybe it was the reason why his mother had perished. There were too many possibilities and he didn't want to dwell on them.

Dropping his partner's hand, Adrien opened the car door and Marinette slipped inside. He passed her the book before closing the door. As he made his way around the Jaguar he paused to look back at his former home. The grandeur was tainted by the resident evil of too many secrets within the building's walls. While Adrien had his own fundamental secret, it wasn't a dark one.

Lifting his right hand, Adrien curled it into a fist as he looked at his ring. To think that his father had gone to extreme lengths to obtain what lay around his finger. The son had no idea of the danger that lurked within his own home. If Hawkmoth had discovered that Chat Noir dwelled under the same roof, Adrien had no doubt he would have taken the miraculous from him.

While it had never happened, a weariness settled on Adrien. His shoulders sagged as he exhaled, rubbing under his eyes with forefinger and thumb. The tinted windows caught the light as well as his reflection. The model sighed, opened the driver's side door and dropped into his seat. He stared at the steering wheel as he automatically put on his seatbelt. Marinette's voice jolted him out of his thoughts. "Are you okay?"

Blonde hair bounced with the shake of his head. "Not really. Every time I think I'm starting to make peace with what happened, something drags me back in to remind me of…" his hands tightened on the steering wheel and he lowered his forehead to the leather, "…what he did. What I did."

The warmth of Marinette's hand ran along his shoulder to his nape, and her fingers began to massage the base of his scalp. "You're allowed to be angry at him."

Adrien slid his hands down the steering wheel. "I know, but I'm sick of feeling this way. I want to move on yet it feels like I can't."

"In some ways you're going through a period of mourning, not only for the relationship you had with your father but for the person you thought he was. Plus, he ruined the life you used to have. After everything that's been thrown at you, where does that leave you? Do you know what you want? At the end of it all, what's best for Adrien?"

Raising his head, the model eased back in his seat and massaged the bridge of his nose. "To be honest I don't know what I should do. My whole life has been highly structured and planned out for me. There was rarely a time when I was asked what I wanted. Realistically, the only time I ever felt like I could be me was when I was Chat Noir." He glanced at her a snickered darkly, "Poor little rich boy, huh."

Marinette trailed her fingers along his jaw and nudged his head toward her. "Adrien, it doesn't matter whether you came from money or not. Your father was an abusive parent. He might not have hit you or hurt you physically but the verbal damage, the endless control of your life, those things are not normal. Parents provide rules to their children to keep them safe, to make them understand how to be a good person to others. They understand that those boundaries will be tested and that sometimes kids need to break the rules to comprehend the ramifications. In some ways you're so naïve to the world because your father wouldn't let you be part of it."

She stroked his face gently as she continued. "As Chat Noir, you got to live. You got to make your own mistakes. Hell, we made a lot of mistakes together but you know what? We picked each other up. We kept going and we learned. The reason why we were such great partners was because we communicated, we forgave and most importantly we trusted each other."

There was a faint quiver to Adrien's chin as he swallowed, then he pulled his lady in for a hug. "Sometimes, bugaboo, I feel like you're the only family I've got."

Plagg burped from his pocket and the couple pulled apart. "Put a ring on it and you can make official."

The model snorted as he tried to contain his laugh. "Subtle as a sledgehammer, Plagg. Why do I put up with you?"

"Because of my witty repartee and because I give you the ability to break stuff."

"Yeah, I guess I can't deny that." Returning to his seat, Adrien ran a hand through his hair as he eyed Marinette with a sideways smile. "Can you see now why I removed my miraculous?"

"Absolutely," she chuckled.

"Hey!" Whined Plagg as Tikki poked her head from Marinette's bag and giggled at her counterpart's expense.

Before the black kwami could protest further Adrien started the Jag and backed out of the Agreste estate. As he prepared to drive off, his phone rang through the car audio. "Hello," he answered.

"Adrien, it's Alya. Guess who was right? Hmm, could it be little old me? I'm so excited! Ladybug is back!"

Adrien sent a knowing look Marinette's way. "Seems your hunch was right."

"I know! See, I told you she'd come back when she saw your interview." The reporter preened. "Um, but here's the thing. I didn't ring sooner because I've been trying to get a hold of Marinette. I've been dying to talk to her but her phone keeps saying it's switched off or out of service. Since you were the last person I know that visited her, do you, um, have any idea where she might be?"

"Funny you should ask," Adrien replied with a smirk at his partner. "She's with me."

A loud squeal had the pair leaning away from the speakers. "Oh my gosh, have you two finally kissed and made up?"

"You could say that," the model beamed with a toothy smile as Marinette tried to swat him with her hand. "Do you want to talk to her? We're in my car on speaker phone."

Alya didn't waste any time with pleasantries. "Girl, did you break your phone again?"

Marinette scrambled for her handbag and pulled out said phone. "Um, it appears the battery is dead. I forgot to charge it."

"You are hopeless. I get the biggest potential scoop and I can't even call you to brag! I knew if Ladybug was to surface it was probably going to be on the Eiffel Tower. Because of my excellent instincts, I was the first one to get footage of her. I swear that girl has got a soft spot for a certain blonde model, cough, cough, Adrien." The pair eyed each other and Marinette blushed. Without a visual, Alya had no idea what she'd missed. "The down side is that no one could get close enough to interview her. She shot off like a rocket, as if she was chasing something but no one managed to find out what got her attention. Sadly, nothing came of it. I was hoping to have a juicy scoop to update the Ladyblog with."

"But wasn't it a scoop just seeing her?" Marinette asked.

"Yeah, but still it would have been nice to actually speak to her. To find out how's she's doing and if she's finally managed to extract Chat Noir from whatever abyss he fell into."

The amusement left Adrien's face and his gaze became fixed on the road. "He's been gone for three years, Alya."

"Which means he'd due for a comeback tour!" The reporter chuckled.

"Fingers crossed," Marinette replied. Adrien could practically feel her eyes on him as he continued to stare straight ahead. The idea of Chat Noir returning to the public eye had his stomach churning.

"Well, if you see or hear anything, let me know." With that Alya said her goodbyes and ended the call.

Marinette's voice was low. "I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable."

Adrien shook his head and bitterness laced his voice. "Alya's always been on a quest to bring back the elusive Chat Noir."

"You could make not only her day, but her year."

He snorted with a wry smile. "No doubt."

"But what do you want?" she asked as she placed her hand over his, resting on the gear knob.

Clenching his jaw, Adrien took a moment to answer. "What I've always wanted, to feel valued. To be accepted for who I really am, not what people want me to be." His eyes drifted to his right hand as they drew closer to Master Fu's. Anxiety began to eat at him.

"Adrien, what's wrong?

His eyes darted from the road to her, and his voice was thick with emotion as he admitted, "I don't want to lose Plagg. While I might joke about it, taking off the ring was one of the hardest things I've ever done. In the three months he was gone, I realised how much I appreciate his company."

"Nice to know, kid." The cat kwami uttered from his shirt pocket.

The model lifted his hand from the steering wheel to pat Plagg's head. "Yeah, but that said, I'd also welcome an end to the pranks."

Plagg's eyes narrowed with calculation. "Three wheels of cheese when we get home and I'll call it a truce."

Arching an eyebrow, Adrien considered it for a minute. "Deal."

Marinette widened the clasp of her open handbag to look at Tikki. She really didn't have a clue as to how Master Fu would react at the return of her partner. The enquiry on her face was met by a shrug from the red kwami. It had been a long time since they'd approached the miraculous guardian. Glancing up, she watched as Adrien parked the Jaguar opposite Master Fu's building.

Exiting the car, Marinette handed Adrien the book which he tucked under his arm, then he reached for her hand. She accepted it and laced her fingers through his, giving him a squeeze. "Whatever happens, I'm with you." She assured him.

Adrien's gaze was wistful but the corner of his mouth lifted in a partial smile. "I know, milady. I'm not going anywhere either." Together they crossed the road and knocked on the door.

The vertical blinds on the glass door parted and a pair of dark eyes assessed them, crinkling at the corners in welcome. Locks turned and the door was opened. "It's been a long time," Master Fu said with a warm smile. The pair stepped inside and the guardian ushered them into his work area. Once settled on the floor, their kwamis played with Wayzz, and Fu looked to Marinette. "I see you found Chat Noir."

"That's not the only thing found." She replied as she handed Fu the peacock miraculous.

His eyes widened first in shock, then delight. "I thought I'd never see this again."

Wayzz beamed. "It has been returned!"

Adrien passed over the book. "We also have this."

The older gentleman grinned. "You got it back. I'm assuming your father had both."

Marinette didn't miss the way Adrien's jaw worked while a muscle ticked in his cheek. "Yes, he did." His tone turned artic and his question caught her by surprise. "Why did you give me the cat miraculous? Did you know that Hawkmoth was my father?"

Fu shook his head. "I had no idea who Hawkmoth was. The universe has a strange sense of humour, or perhaps sense of irony. The reason I chose you both was due to your ability to provide aid without hesitation. When the need to protect and save others arose you were ready to step in. Both of you helped a struggling old man when everyone else ignored him. There's a noble kindness you share and you proved me right in my choices."

Adrien snorted and Marinette laid a hand on his knee. "He's right you know. Despite the outcome of who Hawkmoth turned out to be, you're the best partner I could have asked for."

"How can you say that? Chat Noir vanished for three years." His voice was laced with both resentment and regret.

"You had your reasons. Very good reasons, and as hard as it was for me to cope without your alter ego, at least you let me know you were still around even if it took you five months."

"It was a selfish thing to do. Unbecoming of a supposed superhero," his hand squeezed hers, "and unbecoming of a partner."

She shook her head. "Your father was Hawkmoth. He manipulated you into taking over the family business. As much as I wish you'd talked to me, I get why you didn't."

Master Fu spoke up. "It takes an incredibly strong person to be able to endure what you've been through, Adrien. Had I known that Hawkmoth was your father, I would have chosen a different person to wield the cat miraculous. But things happen for a reason. If I hadn't chosen you, a different Chat Noir would be sitting here with Marinette."

Adrien's spine stiffened and his grip on Marinette's hand was firm. "I am her Chat Noir, and I intend to remain so."

Plagg settled on top of his holder's head, parting the blonde locks to make himself a nest. "He can keep wearing the ring. Inactive or not, I support the kid."

Green eyes lifted upward, even though he couldn't actually see his kwami. "Thanks, Plagg. I think."

Marinette shuffled closer to Adrien, feeling the need for his support while trying to lend her own as she addressed the question they'd been avoiding. "Can we keep our miraculous? At least for the time being."

Fu stroked the greying hair at his chin thoughtfully. "Given that there is no magical threat, they should be returned to their rightful place until they're required. However," he looked directly at Adrien, "I understand your need to hold onto them. Perhaps we can work out a compromise. I'm not getting any younger and I will need to train someone in my place."

"What are you suggesting?" The model asked as his eyes narrowed.

"You have a talent for languages, yes?"

"I speak several fluently." Adrien admitted.

The guardian opened the ancient book, flicking to the page displaying an older incarnation of Chat Noir. His finger pointed to the written code. "How are you at decoding ciphers?"

Green eyes followed the flow of text as Plagg floated away from his head. "I'm told I'm better than average. Chalk it up to a scientific mind."

"You also understand the pain of sacrifice. What you've been through would change any person, some for better and some for worse. Yet I can still see the goodness within you. That need to help others remains. If it didn't, you wouldn't have saved your father's company, or more importantly the people who worked for him. You wouldn't have come forward in one of your darkest times to bring justice when it had the potential to fail. What is truly significant is that you never once abused the power of your miraculous. As the wielder of destruction, you comprehend how much damage can be done if it were placed in the wrong hands. In knowing all this, I believe you have the potential to be a great guardian."

Adrien looked away, gnawing on his bottom lip. "But I considered using cataclysm on Hawkmoth." His brow crinkled in anguish. "I wanted to."

Marinette launched to her knees and took him by the shoulders. "You had a sword buried in your cheek! Your mask was the only thing stopping Hawkmoth from cleaving open your head. I think you're allowed a mental slip up. You didn't kill him, Chat!" Blue eyes widened as she realised what she'd called Adrien without thought. What it signified. She no longer considered him as two different people, she saw Adrien Agreste and Chat Noir as one.

Adrien stared at her in return. His eyes blinked slowly and she watched his expression as some internal battle raged within. She hoped he was vanquishing whatever inner demon was eating at him. Strong arms wrapped around her waist and he nuzzled his face into her shirt.

She pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "You're a good man. The best. My partner, always."

Master Fu rose to his feet. "I'll give you two some space. I'm going to make some tea. No decisions need to be made today."

Marinette threaded her fingers through Adrien's blonde mop. Stroking the silky strands in a methodical rhythm that was both soothing to herself and to the man in her arms. His hands moved to her waist and he urged her to settle on his lap.

Adrien's voice was muffled as he shifted his face to the crook of her shoulder. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm eternally grateful."

"Right back at you," she replied as she leaned away and tapped the end of his nose to lighten the mood.

A lopsided smile spread across his face. "What do you think I should do?"

"Whatever feels right to you. This is your decision, no one else's. I'll stand by you either way."

He nodded slowly as he looked away and she got the feeling he was reflecting on his many concerns, but there was a calmness to his features now. Marinette continued to stroke his hair, enjoying the comfortable silence that had settled between them.

Hmm, there's something major for Adrien to consider. What do you think he should do? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

To answer the guest in regards to my posting schedule, it's rather hit and miss. Sometimes it's weekly, sometimes it's longer. Just depends on how my writing goes and the story flows.

As always, thanks to everyone for reading, reviewing, following and favouriting.