Adrien stayed with Marinette all night on her balcony. They talked about different things, not just about their identities. Adrien wanted to keep Marinette from being upset, because the akuma could return. As it was, she was still very shaken from the event.

He still couldn't quite believe that of all thep eople in Paris his lovely lady could be, but his wonderful classmate and friend Marinette! And watching her interact with Plagg definitely showed she was the right choice.

The Kwami was not happy that Adrien did not have any more camembert on hand, and there wasn't any in the bakery. But some how Marinette had convinced the glutton to eat some other cheeses they had instead.

As the sun rose, it became apparent of the damage wrought upon Paris. They could hear the tv from downstairs. The news reporter Nadia was asking the operable question: Where was Ladybug? Marinette covered her face.

"I feel so awful!" So many citizens frozen as mannequins, and it was all her fault!

"Marinette, it wasn't your fault!" Adrien gripped her shoulder, turning her to face him. "We will fix this. I promise to get your miraculous back and then you can use your Lucky Charm!"

Marinette looked up at Adrien's cheerful face. He was so certain of things. It was strange. In his face she saw her crush, Adrien Agreste. And under normal circumstances she would be so start struck she couldn't speak. But also in that face she saw her partner's confidence and cockiness. Now that his secret was out, it seemed almost impossible to separate the two. Looking away, she sighed.

"I believe you, but I'm just real worried about Tikki." she brushed away a tear.

Adrien nodded understanding. Marinette had told him a little about her kwami last night, about how she looked a bit like a ladybug, and loved eating sweets as her recovery food.

"We will rescue her." He said gently, squeezing her shoulders. "I know I'd be upset if anything happened to Plagg; as annoying as he can be with his expensive appetite. I'd do anything to get his lazy furry butt back."

"Hey! I resemble that remark!" Said lazy furry butt stretched and levitated from where he had crashed last night. Marinette couldn't help but giggle.

"Good morning, Plagg." She said, reaching out to scratch his chin.

"Morning. So anything new happen while i was asleep?"

Adrien shook his head.

"No we were about to start planning on how to get Marinette's miraculous back. I still cant believe father is Hawkmoth!" He crossed his arms.

Atleast this explains some of his father's absences. Not all of them, but a good handful for certain.

"I'd like to know what he wants with our miraculous," Marinette said thoughtfully voicing her concern.

Adrien held his hand against his chin. That was the question, wasn't it? His green eyes settled n his ring and an idea began to formulate.

"Why don't I just ask him?"

Marinette and Plagg looked at him. Plagg's face was blank as usual, but Marinette's showed confusion. Adrien continued his thought.

"I'll go to him and ask him about the miraculous, and confront him myself."

Marinette furrowed her eyebrows pensively.

"Is that a good idea? What if he tries to take your miraculous too?"

Adrien put a hand on her shoulder, and gave her a big smile.

"That's where you come in."

Marinette pointed at herself. "Me?"

He nodded. "Do you trust me?"

Without hesitation, she nodded and said, "Yes, abosoluely!"

His grin grew. "Great. How are you at jewelry making?"

—–

Adrien headed to his house after finalizing the plan. It was just as well he head home, as for the past two or three hours his phone had been blown up by Nathalie trying to reach him. Once he entered his home, he headed straight towards his father's study, pausing at the portrait of himself and his father, the one that hid the entrance of Hawkmoth's lair. It did well to hide the door; the portrait sat flush against the wall. He walked into the study, noting his father sitting at his desk.

"Ah Adrien, there you are! Where have you been?"

His father only looked up once to glance at him before looking back at the paperwork on his desk. Adrien stayed near the door.

"I stayed over at a friend's house." He answered.

Gabriel glanced up at his son.

"If you had planned to stay at the Bourgeois', a phone call would have been suffice"

Adrien glanced out the window. "Actually, I wasn't at Chloe's. I was at Marinette's"

"Ah, Miss Cheng." His father stood up, arms crossed behind his back. "How is she? I noticed she had not shown up for work this morning."

Adrien wasn't happy at the game his father was playing, pretending to not know what happened to her. But he played along

"She was targeted by Hawkmoth yesterday. I wanted to stay with her in case her akuma returned"

"Well, Im sure Paris's great heroes could have protected her just fine." His father's voice held a contemptuous boredom. "Isn't that their job?"

This was definitely a game of cat and mouse. Unfortunately for his father, HE was the cat in this, and he was going to win.

"Perhaps they were busy or unable to. I just wasn't going to leave Marinette alone."

"Very well. I will let Miss Cheng off for today. I do hope she is well enough to return to work tomorrow." Adrien watched as his father went over to the portrait of his mother on the far wall. "She definitely shows great potential, in more ways than one."

Adrien caught something in the tone of his voice. He wondered if it meant more than just hiring Marinette full time on a fashion based job. Was he also talking about her akuma? That was a rough fight, his lady made for a powerful fighter, either akuma or miracular. He was still quite sore from their fight.

"At the very least Adrien, you could have called Nathalie or myself, to tell someone where you were. Why not invite her here where she could be better protected?"

Adrien was getting tired of this game. Obviously his father had more vested interest in using his friend than anything else. Crossing his arms, he decided to end it. He wanted answers, and he wanted them now.

"Perhaps if this wasn't where she was akumatized, father, I would."

Gabriel turned to look at his son.

"Marinette told me everything! I know you are Hawkmoth!" Adrien shouted, not caring if anyone in the house heard him.

"I was beginning to wonder when you would drop these pretenses Adrien. I myself have known you are Chat Noir for quite some time.

"Why are you doing this, father? Why do you want our miraculous?"

"You have NO idea the power your miraculous has!" His father shouted back. "It certainly does not belong in the hands of a couple of children! Adrien, your miraculous has powers no others have."

His voice leveled, calmed, as he slowly approached Adrien, yet still keeping his distance.

"The power to create and the power to destroy. Separate those powers are immense. But together they have an unimaginable ability: The power to grant any wish, no matter what. Adrien, with your miraculous we can bring back your mother!"

Adrien was taken aback by what his father just said. Bring back his mother? Did the miraculous really have that [power? He looked at his ring. Did Plagg know of this?

"They can really do that?" He asked, looking back at his father.

"Yes. I've been researching them for years. Planning for this. Together we an bring her back." He held his hand out towards Adrien. "Work with me, Adrien."

Adrien looked back at his ring for a full minute. He felt a shift in his shirt of Plagg squirming. Heart pounding, he slowly reached for his ring.

"Sorry Plagg" He whispered as he pulled it off.

Once it was fully off his finger he felt a sudden emptiness. He no longer felt the presence of Plagg and a certain loss of cockiness, as if the personality aspect of Chat Noir was completely gone. He looked at the ring in his hand for one more moment before clenching his hand. He approached his father, who had a victorious grin on his face. He hesitated as he stood in front of his father.

"Promise me something first father." Adrien said, holding the ring between his fingers. "Call off Marinette's akuma and restore the people of Paris."

Gabriel seemed to roll his eyes.

"Very well, I will see about restoring her akuma."

He held out his hand, and Adrien dropped the ring in it. His father closed his fingers around it, holding his now clenched fist up in victory.

Without warning, he was knocked off his feet by a punch his son gave him. Looking up from his now sitting position on the floor, he saw thel ook on his face. He rubbed at his throbbing jaw, somewhat admiring the strength behind the hit.

Adrien looked down at his father, fist still clenched. And tho his heart pounded, racing from the adrenalineo f what he just did; he was surprisingly calm.

"Adrien, what are you doing?" His father shouted.

"What am I doing? What are YOU doing!?" Adrien shouted back. He pointed to the window. "All of this, terrorizing Paris. Attacking people for this goal? Its not worth it!"

Adrien blinked back tears. He took a deep breath.

"Mother's been gone for over a year. I still miss her, but putting people in danger just for her? Its not worth it. She certainly wouldnt want THIS! I was given the Chat Noir miraculous for a reason. And that was to PROTECT Paris."

Gabriel smirked. "And fine job you've done, considering you already handed your miraculous over to me."

He held up the ring. Adrien held up an identical one, which he put on his finger. the grin fell from his father's face as his kwami reappeared.

"Marinette is really good at jewelry making, isn't she? Plagg, Claws Out!" He transformed into Chat Noir. He looked over at the portrait of his mother, figuring that Marinette's earrings would be in the safe hidden behind it. He approached it, hesitating before moving it aside.

"Sorry mother." he whispered, as he reached to pull it open.

"Nooroo, transfor– oof" Gabriel's vioce cut off by Chat Noir's staff suddenly hitting him in the chest, knocking him off balance.

"I should probably take that too. It's time Hawkmoth retired" And Chat Noir moved his father's scarf aside revealing a butterfly shaped brooch. "This must be your miraculous."

Gabriel did not struggle, he just glared disapprovingly at him. Right before the butterfly pin came off, Chat Noir caught a glimpse of a small purple face peeking from the inner jacket pocket. It must be the kwami. Right as the pin came off, it nodded, closing its eyes. It almost looked grateful.

Chat stood up, and momentarily looked at his father sadly. His father glared back up at him, visibly grinding his teeth. Chat went back to the safe and called out a cataclysm, destroying the safe door.

"Don't worry, once Ladybug uses her lucky charm, that will get fixed." He grabbed the pair of black earrings off the top shelf and placed both miraculouses in his pockets. Before turning to leave, he also noted a cane leaning against the wall on the inside. In the top part was a glass ball that held a black butterfly. That must be Marinette's akuma. He grabbed it as well and turned to leave. At this point he could no longer meet his father's eyes. Before going out the window, he did have one last thing to say.

"I'm sorry it came to this, father. But know this: I wont tell anyone you were Hawkmoth. I don't want to lose my father as well." And took off, leaving Gabriel Agreste to himself.

Gabriel watched as his son pole vaulted across Paris, most likely to Miss Cheng's home. He turned back to the safe, specifically to the photo on the shelf. He stood and walked over to look at it closely, decidedly ignoring the pile of ash in front of the safe. The photo was of his wife and son. He had some thinking to do, and some time to do it.

—–

I do have one more ch left and it will be poster next week