A/N: This starts out as an alternative ending scene, where Chat Blanc decides to make the wish instead. Be warned, it is very angsty, and Trigger Warning: there is a major character death (during childbirth, though not graphic). If you wish to skip over this scene, you can jump to the regular epilogue section after the double line break (and you'll see how I couldn't even leave an angsty alternate end stay that way).

Somehow, through her pain, Marinette smiled. "It's alright, Chaton. You can bring me back. I know you'll do the right thing. I love… you…"

Agony, stronger than Chat Blanc had ever felt before, rushed in through the crack in his heart as Chat Blanc watched the woman he had come to love turn to ash in his arms.

Everything turned hazy, the sound of his father's voice fading as the roaring inside his head grew louder, until the akuma was forcefully expelled from his bell.

Only then did Chat notice that the sound was coming from him.

He went silent and dropped to his hands, one curling around the earrings as he dragged in ragged breaths.

Marinette…

She was the one he had been fighting for years now, and yet she had chosen to give him a chance.

And now, she was gone.

Because of him.

"I know how you're feeling right now, son. The pain is unbearable, isn't it? You know what you must do." Chat sensed his father nearby, blocked from his sight by the debris in the room. "You've finally accomplished our goal. All you need to do is make the wish, and everything will be back the way it was. Better, even. You can bring back the girl as well."

The temptation arose swiftly as he clenched his hand tighter, the backs of the earrings pressing into his gloved hand.

He could wish her back– wish his mom back. He could fix everything so that he never did the terrible things he had done.

There is always a price that must be paid.

The words had been shouted at him many times by Ladybug in the past.

The question was, who should pay the price for his mistakes? Someone unknown?

Or his mother?

His breathing quickened as he thought of another option.

Perhaps… perhaps he couldn't wish it all back. That was too much. He'd still have to deal with the consequences of what he'd done.

But if he could bring Marinette back, and his mother…?

He sent an apology into the void, to whoever the unknown person was that would be lost in the place of his mother.

With both miraculous in his possession, Chat Blanc made his wish.

"Bring my mother back, in this current moment. Please."

With a flash of light, the world reformed.

Chat remained on the ground as he lifted his head, taking in the damage that remained around him.

"Adrien–" His father's voice came from nearby, where he remained waiting.

"It's done," Chat said abruptly, standing up. He glanced down. The earrings were still in his hand; Chat placed them in his ears, his hands shaking. He barely heard his father going down into the basement.

Please work, please–

A red Kwami appeared, flying up to smile sadly at him.

"How do I transform?" he asked, voice rough.

"The phrase is 'Spots On.' But wait–" She darted away for a moment, pushing something across the ground. "You'll need this." It was a red and black spotted flower pot, broken on the ground. One just like the one he had given Marinette weeks before.

The guilt began to gnaw at him, but he shoved it away to focus, uniting the two miraculous and transforming. Then he tossed up the lucky charm, sending the cure darting around the area.

Marinette landed in front of him, her hand going up to her head as she glanced around in confusion.

The relief that filled him at the sight of her was almost overwhelming. He pulled her into his arms. "Thank God," he said, voice cracking. "You're okay. Are you okay? Fuck–" He shuddered against her, the weight of everything ramming into him.

"Yes, I'm fine," she reassured him, her hands roaming soothingly along his back. She moved her head back from him. "What happened? Is Hawk Moth…"

His grip on her shoulders tightened. "He disappeared downstairs. We need to…" He trailed off, unsure what to do. Gulping back his guilt that reared up again, he said, "I think something happened when I cast the cure. He called out my mom's name." A lie, but he didn't know what else to do. She might not forgive him, if he told her the truth.

He couldn't lose her.

Releasing her fully, Chat took the earrings back out of his ears, transitioning back to his usual transformation.

Marinette placed them in her ears, and after she transformed, she gave him a determined look. "We need to take him down. Are you with me?"

Overwhelmed at the sight of her and reminded yet again that Marinette was Ladybug, who he had spent years fighting, Chat merely nodded.

He led her down into the basement, where he could hear the soft noise of a man sobbing.

Fear gripped him at the sound as he wondered if it hadn't worked after all.

But when they approached, they found his father in an embrace with his mother, who was awake and holding Gabriel's head against her chest.

Chat came to a halt, tears forming in his eyes. "Mom?" he said, voice breaking again.

Ladybug bent down in front of him, picking up the butterfly miraculous that his father had apparently discarded. Then she turned back to him, her eyes wide with wonder. "Your cure, it must have…" Then her eyes softened. "Go, Adrien."

He ran, stumbling slightly as he reached the case where his mom was sitting, her eyes now on him as his father dropped to the floor, sitting down.

Adrien detransformed, and his mom's eyes brightened. "Oh, Adrien." Her arm extended, and Adrien fell into her embrace.

His mother was alive.

Gabriel Agreste went easily with Ladybug, apparently satisfied enough that his wife was alive.

When he handed her the broken peacock miraculous, he looked steadily into her eyes. "I'll go quietly, but my son doesn't deserve to go down with me."

Adrien jerked to his feet. "No, father, I–"

Ladybug interrupted him. "I agree with him, Adrien. Your actions helped us reach this point. You are what stopped Hawk Moth, not me."

She took his father up and out of the room.

In the days that followed, every moment seemed to compress his guilt smaller and smaller within him. He'd been afraid that something might have happened with their baby when he'd brought Marinette back, but his fears seemed to be misplaced, as a doctor appointment confirmed everything was well.

The two of them had a lot to work out, but she'd allowed him a chance to prove he could be good for both her and their child.

Adrien split his time between reconnecting with his mother and Marinette, dealing with the press as Gabriel was publicly released not long after being held in prison. Apparently, the story of doing everything for his wife and the lack of permanent effects had convinced the people who mattered not to press charges against him.

Adrien tried hard not to think about the fact that there had been some sort of permanent effect, one that he might never know the extent of.

Still, through the therapy Marinette started him in, he tried to work through what he could, finding himself in a better spot than he ever would have hoped for himself. He had his mother, his father (his relationship with whom remained strained), Marinette, and their unborn child. It was as close to the life he wanted as he could have gotten.

He should have realized it couldn't last.

When Marinette went into labor, the joy and excitement he felt turned to terror when he realized something had gone wrong.

There was too much blood.

When the flurry of activity forced the staff to drag him away from her, Marinette's eyes met his once more, her expression weary. "I love you, Chaton. If something happens, take care of her–"

He was forcibly removed at that point as his terror and helplessness melded with the temper he often had trouble keeping a check on. "No, I need to be with her, let me go–"

An hour later, his anger faded into nothing.

He sat numbly in a room, alone.

She was gone.

A voice seemed to echo from within his consciousness.

A price must always be paid.

One mother, given back.

One mother, taken away.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

Adrien buried his face in his hands, the tears leaking through and dropping to his knees.

"I didn't want this," he whispered, brokenly.

And then he yelled it, uncaring of who heard.

When they brought in the baby – a girl, they said, though he'd barely heard – they placed her in his arms, and he held her close to his chest as he wept.

The scene faded before it turned back, starting again from the beginning.

"Do you see now?" a voice said, somberly.

Adrien wiped away his tears, turning away from the circular portal. He never wanted to see any of that ever again.

Bunnyx placed a hand on his shoulder. "You made the right choice by not making the wish."

He took several gulping breaths as he squeezed his eyes shut, reminding himself that both Marinette and his baby daughter, Emilie, were alive, even if his mother was gone.

"Was that what it was, then? I made a choice between my mother and Marinette?"

Bunnyx squeezed his shoulder. "I often see many different paths, and a lot of choices made that change the course of an individual's life. If you had chosen to make the wish, then Marinette's death would have been your consequence to own. Your mother's, however, is not the same. She passed because of her own choices, hers and your father's. You shouldn't take that on yourself."

He'd heard similar words before, but had never quite been able to believe them. Adrien finally opened his eyes, feeling a weight beginning to lift off of him as he finally accepted the words to be true. "I'm ready."

When Bunnyx led him back through the portal to his own time, his gaze snapped to Marinette's from where she hovered by the couch.

Concern leaked from her every pore as she looked at him, her eyes darting to Bunnyx. "Adrien, are you–"

He crashed into her, his tight embrace cutting her words off. Breathing deeply in, he took in the smell of her shampoo as his lips connected briefly with her neck.

Then he moved back. "Where's Emilie?" He tried not to let his desperation show.

"In her crib. She's probably awake from her nap."

He waited no longer before rushing out of the room, determined to check on his little girl.

When he left, Marinette turned to Bunnyx. "Did he learn what he needed?"

The miraculous holder gave her a small smile. "He did. I believe he'll be able to finally move on, now."

Marinette gave her a relieved smile. "Thank you."

"No problem. You two get back to living happily ever after, you hear? I have some other timelines that need saving." The woman offered a wave before disappearing through the portal.

Adrien rejoined her, now holding their six-month-old in his arms. He angled his body to leave a soft kiss on Marinette's lips.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she whispered.

He shook his head. "I think… I think I just needed to see it for myself. That I made the right choice. I love you, Marinette. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to work through this."

Marinette brushed his hair away from his forehead before dropping her hand to tickle the baby's side, who let out adorable little baby laughs. "Grief and healing aren't linear, Adrien. You don't need to apologize. I told you before, we're both here with you."

His eyes went glassy again. "I'm so grateful for you, for you both. Thank you."

Marinette smiled back. "I love you, Adrien."

Emilie began fussing then, reaching over for Marinette. Adrien laughed softly, handing her over. "Guess it's time to eat. I'll go make you something, too."

He kissed Marinette's forehead one last time before heading to the kitchen, each step feeling easier than the last.

A/N: Even with the urge to write the angsty alternative ending, I had to turn it back into a happier epilogue. These two sure went through a lot, but happier times lie ahead 3. Thanks for reading :)