He glanced over at Chloe, still curled up in a corner. Part of him still longed to go over to her, but it'd do more harm than good right now. He didn't like seeing anyone upset or in pain.

Perhaps after an hour or two, Chloe would calm down enough that she'd be able to rejoin everyone else without having a breakdown. He hoped so. Chloe could be… trying at times, but she was still his oldest friend. He just wished she'd learn to get along with his new friends. He didn't want to be forced to choose, like it seemed that Sabrina had.

At least he was getting to enjoy the show. He strongly suspected that the tv was showing the future - or at least a possible future, given that watching this may change the future. He wasn't sure whether this would create a closed timeloop or not. He hoped not. He'd like to be able to enjoy knowing who His Lady is, knowing that she was Marinette and in love with him. Yes, admittedly, she might need to learn to tone things down a bit – he was on board with the idea of her starting anti-anxiety meds like Alya suggested, that seemed like it'd improve things for her a lot – but overall he was loving seeing how much someone loved and cared for him, and for it to be Marinette especially? A girl he'd admired for the past several months? AND for her to be Ladybug, the girl he'd already been declaring his love for? That was the cherry on top.

So he hoped this was all real. That it would happen. Maybe with them still being able to change the future and thus, to improve some aspects.

But overall, he was happy with the future he was seeing.

(Scene: Emilie's bedroom, Emilie is showing a child Adrien a photo album)

His chest hitched. "...Mom?"

He couldn't tear his eyes away. Sure, he'd watched videos of her after her passing, even the one movie she starred in, Solitude. But that was a movie, something that was made for public consumption, and one where she was playing a character. It wasn't her.

This? This was different. This was a private moment between her and him, one which he could only hazily recall, now being played back in front of him. This… this was her, as he remembered her. Kind and gentle, but a little sad as well.

Something wet hit his hand. He reached up to touch his face, feeling the tear tracks staining it.

"Oh, dude…" Nino patted his shoulder comfortingly.

He wiped his eyes on his sleeves. "I'm– I'm okay. I'm glad I'm getting to see her again, I just… wasn't expecting it.

So this show could even display the past, huh? Even things that happened before Hawk Moth's reign. He'd already been pretty convinced that the information it showed, the things that it revealed, were true in their world as well, but this just increased that likelihood. There was no way that Hawk Moth, nor the akuma,saw this moment between him and his mom all those years ago. The akuma had to be getting true, accurate info, at least about the past. Even if the future might potentially still be in flux, any information this show revealed about events that had already taken place, was likely to be accurate.

Adrien: So this means you have a daddy and a mommy too?

Emilie: Yes, and they're your grandpa and grandma.

Adrien: Where are they?

Emilie: Far away.

Adrien: Where is far away? Can we go there?

(Emilie looks away from her son)

Emilie: You know, Adrien, being a daddy or a mommy means loving your children more than anything in the world… (Emile loses her smile and begins to tear up) and there are things that my mommy and daddy love more than me.

(Adrien sees that her mother is upset and loses his smile)

Emilie: Things that sometimes make them…(She rubs the tears from her eyes) Not so good. (She looks to her son and smiles) That's why we never see them.

"Your mom was the only adult in your family who didn't suck, huh?" Nino asked sympathetically.

"Father isn't that bad." His defense sounded hollow, even to him.

"He wouldn't even let you have a birthday party."

"He's just overprotective!" He blinked, thinking back on what he'd seen the past few episodes. "And it looks like he might let me out to be with friends more in the future anyway, once Mom's death isn't so fresh. You saw how I was allowed to go out and watch a movie, and eat out at a cafe, and even decide whether and what plans to make with friends without needing to consult Father, or even bring my bodyguard!"

That lifted his spirits. Things were going to get better in the future. Maybe Father would even have meals with him regularly!

Nino frowned, but nodded reluctantly. "I guess that's true. He might have gotten the stick out of his butt in the future."

"Nino!" Alya scolded.

"What? It's true."

He had to laugh. His friend certainly had a way with words.

Adrien: Does that mean that daddy doesn't love me?

Emile: (Is shocked and upset at hearing that) Why would you say that?

Adrien: Because we never see daddy. He's never here.

Emilie: (cups Adrien's cheek and gently turns him to face her) No, no, it's just that daddy travels a lot. He goes around the world with Nathalie looking for important things. One day, they'll find them, and I'll get better, then we'll all stay home. (Hugs Adrien) Together.

"You're sure I can't murder your dad?" Nino asked.

"He can't be that bad, Nino," Marinette told him. "He's Adrien's father, he has to love him, even if he's sometimes a little distant. All parents love their kids."

Several of his classmates stared at her for a minute.

"...you know that's not true, right?" Mylene asked quietly. "Even Adrien's mom said as much."

"Maybe they just need to talk!" Marinette suggested. "Find common ground. I'm sure things would work out then."

"It's not always that simple!" Mylene's voice rose in frustration. "Sometimes you don't even get that option, because the parent isn't even there!"

"Oh… right," Marinette's voice dropped. "I forgot about your mom. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Mylene muttered. "It was awhile back when she left, and at least my dad stuck around. Just… remember that not everyone won the parent lottery like you did, okay?"

Marinette nodded. "I know how lucky I am."

He noticed that Chloe had raised her head, watching the exchange between Mylene and Marinette raptly.

He met her eyes.

She quickly turned away, burying her head in her legs.

He wished she wouldn't be so afraid to hide away, either behind bravado and arrogance like she normally did, or physically like she was doing now. If she'd just allow herself to be emotionally vulnerable with others, to open up to truly open up to them, then maybe she could actually make some friends, and not just followers like what she had with Sabrina. He knew she was capable of being open and sincere. It'd just been a long time.

"What were Nathalie and your father searching for, anyway?" Alya asked curiously.

He shrugged. "A cure I guess? I didn't think either of them had the medical knowledge necessary to be able to identify one, but maybe they were all just clinging to whatever hope they could. Father refused to discuss his expeditions with me, and Nathalie just told me to ask my father."

There were always so many secrets in his household. His parents wouldn't even tell him just how sick Mom was until the very end.

He wished that they'd told him the truth and included him in these conversations, at least to the extent that he could've understood. Having them pretend that things weren't as bad as they were, trying to cover it up because they didn't think he could handle it… he could understand why they wanted to shield him, but reality wasn't so kind.

It was just so infantilizing. He wished his father would see him as an equal and actually talk with him, instead of over him.

Maybe things got better in this future. He certainly hoped so. There'd been some promising signs, what with how much more freedom this other him appeared to have.

(The scene zooms out on the mother and son hugging in bed, then fades to black, then to the theme song.)

(Next scene, a door opens to Gabriel's office, shining light on a darkened room, every piece of furniture covered in a white tarp. The scene then shifts to Adrien, who looks into the room with solem sadness.)

Nathalie: Everything alright, Adrien?

(Adrien turns and sees a concerned Nathalie. He breaks down, running to her, hugging her as tight as he can, crying into her shirt. Nathalie is surprised by the sudden contact and attempts to

hug him, but stops halfway, with a guilty expression on her face. Adrien eventually lets her go and backs)

Adrien: (His voice still broken with grief) I'm sorry, Nathalie. (He wipes tears from his eyes)

That flashback must've been the other him thinking back on the past, reminiscing about Mom. Maybe it was an anniversary of some sort, and that was why he was getting so emotional all of a sudden? He would've had more time to process in this future, so he probably wasn't bursting into tears without some sort of trigger. Though he might've just encountered something that'd reminded him of the past.

At least Nathalie was there. Father was probably holed up in his atelier, but he still had someone.

Nathalie: (Looking away from Adrien) Lunch is ready.

(Adrien, still looking down and upset, slowly walks out of the room as Nathalie looks into Gabriel's office when suddenly, her phone rings. Nathalie looks down at who's calling and is utterly shocked.)

(Adrien notices from across the stairs, Nathalie answering the phone)

Nathalie: Yes…Yes, sir…Yes…Goodbye. (Hangs up)

(Nathalie looks troubled)

Adrien: Is everything alright, Nathalie?

Nathalie: Your grandparents want to see you.

(Adrien is left shocked by the revelation)

Nino frowned. "Wait, which grandparents? I mean, I can see why you'd be surprised if she was talking about your Mom's parents, since it sounds like she was estranged from them, but what about your Dad's parents? …actually scratch that, knowing him, they'd probably be even worse."

Adrien shook his head. "I couldn't tell you. I've never met either set. Mom didn't think much of her own parents, and Father… he just said that they weren't the sort of people I should associate with, and refused to explain beyond that." He didn't like pressing too hard. It tended to lead to Father leaving and him being assigned to more lessons. If he had time to ask questions, then he had time to practice piano, apparently.

"That actually makes me think that they might not be so bad. He doesn't think I'm the sort of person you should associate with, either," Nino cheerfully pointed out.

Huh. He had a point.

(Scene changes to Marinette's house, as Marrinette, her parents, and her grandparents from her father's side and sit around the table having lunch)

Gina: Buon appetito.

Roland: Mmm…That's how braccioli is done!

Marinette blinked. "Wait, who's that?"

"Who do you mean? The older lady, or the gentleman?" She was presumably not referring to either of her parents, or they'd suddenly have much bigger problems than they currently had.

"The older guy. The lady is my paternal grandmother, but I've never seen the other guy before. I wonder…" She frowned, tilting her head to the side. "I know that my dad is estranged from his own father. Apparently he's just holed himself up in his house for over twenty years for some reason. He didn't even attend my parents' wedding. I've never met him, so that could be him? I guess?"

"Huh. He seems alright?" Not that he had much to judge off of, considering he'd never met either set of his own grandparents.

(As Marinette eats, Tom leans over to her with a mischievous grin on his face)

Tom: I, for one, feel like somebody's missing. (Marinette blushes red as her eyes bulge, then she looks down shyly and continues eating.) When do we get to meet him?

Marinette: Dad! You already know him. You've seen him hundreds of times already.

Gina: (claps and points from across the table) Ah! The young model, handsome as a princess.

Marinette: Yes, he is very, very, VERY handsome. (Shakes her head, getting more serious) But he's more than that, and he's not a model anymore, you know.

He wasn't a model anymore? Father had let him stop?

He could just… just be a kid?

"Oh that's too bad, but hey, maybe we'll find out what made your dad pull you out of modeling so you can avoid it. You'll be back to modeling in no time!" Nino slapped a hand on his back.

"Ha ha… yeah…" he avoided Nino's eyes.

"Are you okay with not modeling?" Marinette asked softly, eyes searching his face.

"I mostly model because Mom suggested that it'd be a good way for Father and I to bond. You saw how little he was at home when I was younger. She figured that if I was part of his work, we'd connect more." He kicked his feet, remembering back to that time. "In truth, he still didn't have much to do with me. He'd see me slightly more but mostly just to give me orders. Mom and Nathalie still handled most of the day-to-day stuff. And I did enjoy it back then, really! Mom made it fun. But now…" He looked off to the side. "I just want to be a regular kid, not have to worry about working or the optics of what I do."

Seeing pictures of himself plastered everywhere also just felt weird. He knew that he should be grateful for the life he was born into, a lot of people would work their entire lives for a fraction of the fame he had, but… he never asked for any of it.

"Are we just going to ignore your grandma calling Adrien 'handsome as a princess'?" Alya asked, bemused.

"Alyaaaa!" Marinette blushed.

He just shrugged. It wasn't like he wasn't aware of how attractive he was – people never stopped commenting on it. Sometimes he wished he was a little less so. A lot of times it felt like people were seeing him more as a pretty decoration or a piece of meat, than as a person.

Being compared to a princess was more common than most people might think, probably because of how much he looked like his mother. He didn't really mind much either way, he'd played dress-up with Chloe when he was little and he'd never really cared whether she wanted him to dress up as a prince or a princess. At the end of the day, they were all just clothes.

Just so long as no one tried to get him to wear heels. He shuddered. Walking in those things as Reflekta had been a pain and a half.

(Tom leans over mischievously toward his daughter again)

Tom: Well, no, we don't know since you haven't officially introduced him as your boyfriend to us. So! I was thinking you could invite him over for lunch on Sunday!.

Tom, Gina and Roland: (egging her on) Invite him! Invite him! Invite him!

Sabine: (Calms them down) Really, all of you! It's her first time being in a relationship. Let her do things at her own pace. You can invite him if you want to, sweetheart.

Marinette: No. It's too soon. It's not like I already thought about…(The background behind Marinette goes pink as chibi images of Adrien and Marinette getting married, three babies, and two hamsters appear above her.) the wedding, three kids, and two hamsters named…

Tom, Gina, and Roland: Invite him! Invite him!

Marinette: (Gives in) Then…Okay! (facetimes Adrien and runs to her room)

Marinette buried her face in her hands. "Please, kill me now."

"You'd like that?" he asked her compulsively. "To get married, have kids, and– and to get hamsters together?"

He vaguely thought he'd like kids someday, though that was a long way off. But getting married, having someone who would always be by your side, who wouldn't leave, who you loved, and who would return that love… that thought made his heart hammer.

And the hamsters! He so wanted a hamster, he'd never been allowed to have one before. Her wanting one too… they were truly a match.

(Adrien picks up, clearly relieved to see her, but his smile doesn't reach his eyes) Adrien: Ah, Marinette.

Marinette: Hello, Adrien! (Sees her family spying on her and waves them away) Are you free for lunch on Sunday?

Adrien: I…(Looks down and troubled) No…I…already have something else planned. (He smiles, trying to reassure her)

Marinette: (Looks down) Oh…is it something important?

Adrien: (Looks over to Nathalie) I'm meeting my grandparents.

Marinette: (perks up) Wow, that's amazing! (Marinette then grows concerned as she sees the troubled look on his face) What?

Adrien: I'm not sure. I don't know them. I never even met them before

Marinette: Seriously?

Adrien: My mom's parents…she didn't want us to see them.

Marinette: Huh? But, why not?

Adrien: She said they were mean. As for my father, he never even told me about his parents. Marinette: Wow…

Adrien: And now, all of a sudden, they're determined to see me. I don't know what to do. You know how much I would love to spend Sunday with you.

Marinette: Me too…(Suddenly, she gets an idea) But! You know what? Since you can't come to my place. I'll come to yours! (Tries to look cool and confident) I'm an expert at grandparents. I'm sure they're not that bad. And if they really are that mean, then I'll protect you because you're family- Well! Not yet! Uh…I mean…almost? (She facepalms in embarrassment) What do you say?

Adrien:(gives a real genuine smile at Marinette's offer.) If it's possible then I think I'd like you to be there with me, yes.

Marinette: Of course it's possible! You'll see. Give me Nathalie.

Alya raised an eyebrow. "You're an expert?"

"Well, compared to me, she definitely is," he countered. "I mean, she probably has hung out with three, maybe even four of them. I've never even met any of my grandparents."

Marinette coughed awkwardly. "Actually, Adrien – I've only ever met one of my grandparents. Both of my Mom's parents passed away when she was a kid, she was raised by her uncle instead. You remember him, the world-famous chef?"

"Oh…" He suddenly felt embarrassed. "I– I didn't know. I'm sorry. How old was she?"

"It's fine." Marinette thought for a moment. "I've seen a couple of pictures… I think she was maybe eight or nine? I could be wrong, but I know she was fairly young, like not even a teen yet."

He looked down. "I can barely imagine." Bad enough for him with losing his mom, but at least he'd been thirteen at that point, and understood what was happening. And he still had his father, even if sometimes it felt like he'd died along with Mom.

(Timeskip to Sunday, in the Agreste dining room, Nathalie, Marinette, and Adrien are setting the table.)

Nathalie: I'm really not sure this is a good idea. Lord Graham was very specific about the lunch being a family-only reunion. Only the wait staff will be allowed inside the dining room.

Marinette: (In a maid outfit that she shows off with a twirl) Hence, the uniform.

Adrien: (Whispers) The shellfish cracker goes to the right of the fish fork.

Marinette: Oops! (immediately loses his confident pose and quickly fixes her mistake). Nathalie: Lord Graham is a stickler for principles, Marinette. You'll have to be very discreet.

Marinette: (Waves her off) I've done this plenty of times, helping my parents when they've catered events. I'll be invisible.

Nathalie: I'm counting on the two of you to let me know how it went.

(Both Adrien and Marinette are clearly shocked that Nathalie won't be there.)

Adrien: What?! What do you mean? You…you're not having lunch with us? Nathalie: I'm not part of the family.

Marinette: What?! Does Lord Graham know that you're practically Adrien's mom now?

Nathalie: (Looks down with sadness) I…could never replace Adrien's mother… (Adrien looks at Nathalie with sadness at her reply)

"I like this Lord Graham guy less and less," Nino grumbled. "Not letting anyone he deems 'non-family' in," he made quotation marks with his fingers, "no matter how much they've acted as family to you, but still allowing waitstaff because otherwise he'd be forced to look after himself? How big of a stick is up this guy's ass?"

"Judging by what Mom said, a ginormous one. Probably encrusted with spiky diamonds. 'Only the most precious of gems can be inserted up a Lord's anus,'" he said, using his best pompous British accent. Which according to Felix, made him sound constipated. So, perfect for this.

Nino let out a laugh, the rest of the class soon joining him.

One particular giggle stood out to him. One that'd joined him many times in the past in making fun of nonsensical rich grown-up attitudes, but that he'd heard less and less as the years wore on.

He glanced back at Chloe. She had the smallest of smiles on her face as she looked at him.

She quickly looked away, wiping what little smile existed off of her face.