A/N: We've made it to the last chapter! Ahhh can't believe it! Please enjoy!
Also, I have mad respect for all medical personnel. Unfortunately, Claw does not, so my apologies in advance for his rude-ass self.
Song Rec: The Darkness by John Michael Howell
Adrien followed the nurse through the hospital, wondering if he would get kicked out if he shoved her aside and sprinted the rest of the way to Marinette's room.
Fuck, could you at least move with a sense of purpose?
Of course Marinette had gone into labor three weeks early when he'd been across town, helping his father search for the missing Guardian box. By the time he realized she had tried to contact him, she'd already been at the hospital. A quick phone call revealed a frantic Marinette and the knowledge that apparently things were progressing much quicker than either of them had expected.
Then Bunnilark had snagged him to give Shay and Adrien an update, and he didn't bother to argue, rushing to do it before finally getting to the hospital.
Only to get stuck behind the slowest damn nurse on the planet.
He received a few frowns from the woman as they made their way through. "Sir," she said, pressing a button to let them through a large door into yet another long fucking hallway. The door opened so slowly that he briefly considered if transforming and hitting it with a Cataclysm would speed it up. "Please calm down. We're almost there, I promise."
Finally, she opened the door to Marinette's room, allowing Adrien to rush in. She was leaning back in the bed, breathing deeply with her eyes closed.
"Marinette," he said, causing her eyes to snap open.
Instead of the anger he had expected, relief softened the tension in her expression. "Oh thank goodness." She reached her hand out for his, and he took it, sliding over next to her. He didn't know why he always thought she'd be furious with him, when she never had been before. Perhaps one of these days, he'd finally get it through his thick skull that the woman he loved, loved him in return, and was much more forgiving of his mistakes than he always assumed.
"Sorry I'm late, Sweetheart." He left a kiss on her hand before her face twisted and her breathing sped up. She clenched his hand tightly for a short time, before finally easing up. Adrien felt panicked as he looked around the room, spotting another nurse looking at the equipment. "What's going on? I thought we were gonna have a lot more lead time here. Is he alright?"
Marinette looked up at him. "I think so. He just decided he's done waiting, I guess." She let out a laugh, but she seemed to be fighting back something else. "I'm really glad you're here."
Marinette had always been strong and confident, from the moment he had met her back when she had first appeared in his world. The look in her eyes now, however, revealed such poignant vulnerability, unlike anything he'd seen in her before. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly.
"I'm afraid," she admitted, her hand tightening on his again.
It made him reflect on the big downside of deciding to stay in this world until the baby came: the lack of support she had. No parents to help her, none of her best friends to confide in.
Only him.
Shoving his own fear away, Adrien leaned down, dropping his hand to her head and tilting her chin to look at him. "Marinette, listen to me. You have tackled so many challenges in your life. Me, for one." He grinned as his answer made her breathe out a laugh. "You helped take down that moth guy in your world. You managed to grow an entire resistance here with my dad, and you defeated the Supreme. You're fucking amazing, alright? This is just another challenge. You're gonna have this baby, and I'll be right here by your side."
Marinette's eyes crinkled as she smiled at him through her next contraction. "Okay. Sounds like a—good plan."
"Damn right it is! Now just breathe. Or whatever the fuck they tell you to do, I don't know what the hell I'm saying anyway."
She let out a strained laugh as the nurse stepped in.
About a week after Louis Dupain-Cheng was born, Marinette and Adrien gathered him and the few things they had collected to take with them back to the other universe.
After saying goodbye to Gabriel with promises to visit when possible, they turned to face Bunnilark, who twirled her umbrella on her shoulder. "You guys ready to go back?"
Adrien took the opportunity to glare once more at the holder. "For real this time?" Bunnilark had almost returned them only a day after the birth, only to decide it was better to give Louis more time before going through the portal.
With a bright smile, Bunnilark nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yes. Come on, they're waiting for you."
Marinette adjusted the sleeping baby in her arms one last time before they walked through the portal and into Adrien and Shay's living room once more.
Shay was the only one on the couch when they entered, but her eyes brightened and she jumped up as she zeroed in on the bundle in Marinette's arms. "Holy shit, you actually did it. Blondie, get back in here!"
Adrien turned the corner from the kitchen, his eyes widening as he saw them. "You're here! Is that…?"
They both walked up to them together, peering down at Louis' sleeping face.
"Yup," the older Adrien said, unable to keep a hint of pride showing through. "You were right. He's mine. His name is Louis."
Shay looked up at him. "So, what, is it over? Did you get him, or do you have to go back?"
The grin faded from Adrien's gaze. "Yeah. We defeated the Supreme. Funny story actually: she was my mom."
Shay's mouth turned down, her gaze sharpening on him as Adrien sucked in a breath beside her. "Holy shit, Claw. That's…awful. I thought…" she hesitated, glancing at both blonds.
The older Adrien let out a huff. "That she was dead? Yeah, me too. It's a long story, I'd rather tell it another time. The important thing is the Supreme is gone, we won, and somehow, Marinette let me come back here with her. To stay." He looked over at Marinette as he said it, happiness burning behind his eyes as he grinned at her.
Shay interrupted the moment with a snort. "You missed a part of the story. You got her pregnant. I thought you said you weren't stupid, eh Fleabag? So much for that." Despite her words, she peered down at the baby, cooing gently as she reached her finger in to brush against the blanket.
Adrien glared at Shay. "Hey, it wasn't my fucking fault, okay? We don't know how it happened, because I was careful, alright?"
Shay smirked up at him. "That's not how Tikki tells it. She said it was all you, Claw."
With an affronted look, Adrien sputtered out, "What? No, I didn't…how would she even know, she's here!"
Shay's Tikki flew over, spinning around Marinette's Kwami in a quick little maneuver before floating back. "We Kwamis experience everything our counterparts do in all universes. But Shay is exaggerating." Tikki flew up to Adrien's nose. "It wasn't all your fault. Just partially." With a giggle, both Kwamis disappeared, leaving Adrien with a bewildered expression.
Shay crossed her arms as she stared smugly up at him, Marinette turning to raise an eyebrow at him in a similar way.
Adrien looked between the two before letting out a groan, shutting his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Aw fuck."
Shay laughed, and the younger Adrien struggled to keep from smiling as he added, "Guess we don't have a great track record, do we?"
With a huff, Adrien said, "Shit. I'm sorry, Marinette."
Marinette shook her head, but she smiled down at Louis in her arms. "Luckily for you, I think it worked out just fine."
A cry sounded from the other room, and Shay took a step back. Her old partner left Louis and Marinette behind to follow her as she walked to Elaine's room. Before opening the door, she turned to him. "I guess things worked out pretty well for both of us, huh Claw? Good thing these two loser fucking heroes went out on a limb for us, I guess."
Adrien barked out a laugh. "You got that right. I don't know what the hell Marinette was thinking when she gave me a chance."
"Me neither. You're a fucking idiot." But she grinned at him as she said it, and he merely rolled his eyes. She didn't let up, however, her gaze going alight with glee. "Did you tell her about the goose?"
Adrien glared at her. "Fucking hell, when will you let that go?"
"Oh, how about never?" Shay cackled, one hand on the door knob and the other wiping away an imaginary tear. "That shit'll never get old." She opened the door, and Adrien grumbled as he followed her in.
Once inside the dark room, Shay leaned down to take Elaine into her arms. Adrien watched the expression on her face slowly change, until she looked back up at him, the humor gone. "Thank you, Claw. You really helped me that day. I'm not sure I'd be here if it weren't for you."
Adrien looked away. "Naw, I didn't do anything. I just shuffled you along to get the real help.
It was that one that made the difference." He tilted his head out the door at the other version of him.
Shay shook her head. "No, Claw. I may have been stubborn about it, but what you said to me did help. You kept me from doing something stupid to myself. Honestly, I don't think I would have made it all these years without your annoying ass at my side. I've always treated you like shit, so I don't know why you even cared. But, thank you. For all of it."
A small smile lifted the corner of Adrien's mouth as he shoved his hands in his pockets. He didn't realize how much it would mean to him to hear those words from her. "You're pretty fun, Shade. Never a dull moment. I'm glad I played a part in helping you realize you're worthy of friendship."
Shay truly smiled then, and Adrien swore he could see a shine in her eyes. "You did." She cleared her throat, marching past him. "Alright, enough. Time to go introduce our kids. Gotta get in Elaine's head early just how superior she is to Louis."
Adrien let out a loud laugh, and together, they walked out of the dark room and into the light.
A/N: Knew I wanted to end with a little ShadyClaw banter :) Thank you so much for reading or listening, I would love to hear from you in the reviews if you liked this story, whether you followed along as it went or are coming to this later on, I love and appreciate you all! I'll collect and post the full podfic separately sometime soon.
I do have one last art commission in the works for this (a sweet Shadrien one :) ), so feel free to keep an eye out on my Instagram or Tumblr if you want to catch that, or any of my commissioned art for all my fics I can't share here on ffnet.
If you haven't read it already, there's a short one-shot Bedtime Stories that gives a brief view into the future with Shay/Adrien/Elaine. You'll even catch my hint to Mariclaw/Louis in it as well!