Marinette wondered what was wrong with her world. Monarch had won, yet no one would ever know. In their mind Ladybug and Cat Noir had defeated him. With help from Gabriel Agreste.

She sighed as she paced around her room. She should be happy, right? Monarch was gone, Gabriel Agreste was gone too, the Kwamis all had holders, and school break had finally arrived. But she couldn't shake this feeling.

Monarch had rebuilt the world, and only she, Tikki and Plagg knew it. She wasn't sure how it worked but it's not like she could do anything about it.

Chat Noir didn't know what had happened yet, at least if Plagg had done as she asked. As his partner, she felt like she had to tell him. It's the least she could do.

Adrien hadn't been this happy in a long time. His missing mother had returned, Natalie was healthy again, he was dating Marinette and Monarch had been defeated. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty about not being able to help Ladybug defeat him, but at least it had all worked out.

He wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that his father had helped Ladybug defeat Monarch. Adrien supposes that this was proof that his father wasn't completely heartless.

Plagg had dodged his questions about the event, stating that the important part was Monarch had been defeated.

Adrien glances at his phone and sees it's Chat Noir and Ladybug's time to go out on patrol.

Transforming, he jumps out of his window, happy he gets to see his friend again.

Ladybug was sitting down on the rooftop when Chat Noir arrives. He sneaks up on her slowly, intending to scare her, but he noticed something was off about her.

"Hello Ladybug", he says, deciding to go for a softer approach.

"Chat Noir", she responds, not looking at him, "We need to talk".

Chat Noir sat down next to her, concern visible on his face. This wasn't their first meeting after Monarch's defeat, but they never actually talked about what happened. Now that he's really thinking about it, he wasn't sure what happened that day, it was almost like a blur.

"Agreed", he answers. He wanted to ask, he wanted to know what was obviously bothering her, but he had a feeling it would be better if he waited.

"Can you believe they made a statue of Gabriel Agreste?", Ladybug started.

Chat Noir was not expecting that, but he allowed her to continue without interrupting.

"He doesn't deserve it. He really does not. I live by the park, and I see it everyday. It's like he's mocking us. Being seen as a hero when I know the truth".

"The truth?", Chat Noir asked in shock, "What are you talking about?". Why would a statue of his father mock Ladybug? Did Plagg know about this? Plagg hadn't talked to him about it, the more Chat Noir thought about the day Monarch was defeated the more his head hurt.

It didn't make sense.

"If you need to talk you can tell me", Chat Noir said, "We're a team remember?".

Ladybug slowly nods.

Chat Noir felt something inside him shift. "What happened the day you defeated Monarch?", he dared to ask.

Ladybug turned to look at him, "I didn't".

Chat Noir stared at her, trying to understand what she meant, "Monarch won. He made his wish, this world, this world is not our world, my world? I-I don't know".

She stood up starting to pace around as Chat Noir desperately tried to understand what she was telling him.

"He made his wish and the world was engulfed in light and now it's like the world is the same, but it's also not the same. And now everyone is celebrating because Monarch is gone, but the only reason he's gone is because he got what he wanted", she rambled on.

Chat noir wanted to help her, but he was busy processing his own thoughts. Is that why things didn't add up to him? Why something felt off at times?

"And now I have to pretend that everything is alright, but it's not. But there's nothing I can do about it now and I'm constantly worried that something changed for the worse. Like something is just looming over our world, waiting to strike due to the wish", she kept explaining.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?", Chat Noir asked, "Why did you keep it to yourself?".

Ladybug stopped in her tracks as she tried to think of an answer.

"I, I guess I just didn't want to believe it. I guess we were just never meant to win". Ladybug remembers one world that was completely destroyed by her akumatized and a kwami coming back in time to warn her. Was this just always meant to happen?

Chat Noir nodded, offering a hug that Ladybug readily accepted, "At least it's over now", he said.

"Not until we find the butterfly miraculous", Ladybug said.

Chat Noir still wanted to ask something, "Gabriel Agreste, why do you hate him?".

"I-I", she took a deep breath, "Gabriel Agreste was Monarch".

And Chat Noir felt his legs start to shake. He's glad to be hugging Ladybug were she couldn't see the tears he desperately was trying to stop from falling.

His father had been Monarch this whole time? Could he even say he was surprised?

"Chat Noir?", Ladybug asked, snapping him out of his racing thoughts, "Are you alright?".

Chat Noir stepped back, wiping his tears quickly, "Yes, perfectly fine", his confusion slowly turned to anger. Of course his father would do this!

"Why wouldn't you tell everyone?! Why let him be a hero?!", Chat Noir demands.

"He made me promise", Ladybug answered. Chat Noir couldn't see how her eyes narrowed or how she formed her hands into knuckles.

"But you didn't have to! You didn't even have to reveal Monarchs' identity, but why make him a hero?!

"I know his son, Adrien Agreste. He seem so happy, seeing his father be portrayed as a hero. In a way it's like he's happy that his father had some good in him. He's not the only one, everyone seems so happy…", Ladybug explained, "They deserve to have a hero. Adrien deserves to think his father was a hero".

Chat Noir feels furious at his father. Even now, when he thought he could've been a good man, he thought that maybe he was right in believe in his father?! And to make Ladybug feel guilty enough to lie to the world, to force herself to live in a world that praises Gabriel Agreste when he is the reason so many have suffered these past few months.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I needed to process what happened".

"I need to go", Chat Noir states.

"Please don't destroy the people's illusion", Ladybug says, "After all the akumatizations people need something to celebrate".

Chat Noir nods before jumping away, leaving Ladybug on the rooftop, wondering if she did the right thing in telling Chat Noir about what happened.

"He's your partner", Tikki had said, "He has been by your side since the beginning, he deserves to know what happened".

Marinette had told him about Monarch as well, something Tikki had been against, but she couldn't not tell anyone. A part of her felt better to have told someone, but another part of her let guilty for causing Chat Noir so much distress.

At least Adrien still thought of his father as a hero.

The next morning she woke up a news report talking about the mysterious destruction of the Gabriel Agreste statue.

She hadn't expected such a strong reaction, but she couldn't blame him.