Chapter Text
Emilie Agreste Found Alive!
11th September
Eleven years ago, Emilie Agreste, wife of fashion mogul Gabriel Agreste, mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind her husband and son. Investigators, both state and private, were unable to uncover any clues as to her whereabouts. That changed a week ago, when the Agreste lawyers were contacted with information on a possible sighting.
After making positive identification, the family lawyers say that she awoke from a coma in a small village in Tibet almost a month ago and was not able to make herself understood until recently. Sources are unclear why Madame Agreste was in Tibet in the first place, but a local spokesperson stated that she was found by villagers a little over a decade ago and brought to their village for care.
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Fashion Icon Involved in Traffic Accident, Recovering
11th September
Gabriel Agreste, fashion mogul, and father of well-known national model Adrien Agreste, was involved in a major traffic accident yesterday. He, his assistant Nathalie Sancoeur, and son Adrien were in the car at the time of the accident. Mr. Agreste and Ms. Sancoeur were taken to hospital with minor injuries and are recovering. Adrien Agreste was also examined, but declared no injuries.
Sources claim the family was on their way to the airport in response to news that Emilie Agreste nee Graham de Vanily, long-time missing wife of Gabriel and mother of Adrien, had been located in Tibet after more than a decade.
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Is Gabriel in Trouble?
20th September
Sources say Adrien Agreste, son of Gabriel Agreste, is leaving the company, following his long-time girlfriend (possible fiance?) Marinette Dupain-Cheng, a rising designer, who recently accepted a position at ----.
Both of them say the change was a long time in the making, and has nothing to do with the recent return of Emilie Agreste. Sources confirm that relations between the two Agreste men have been colder in recent years, but there is speculation that the car accident and associated head trauma suffered by Gabriel Agreste, and now the loss of it’s star model as well as a promising designer will put the company on a downward trend.
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Ladybug and Chat Noir stood on the steps in front of City Hall and waited patiently for Mayor Bourgeois to finish his opening remarks for the press conference. Fortunately, he kept it short and sweet, and then they stepped up to the podium and the hovering flock of boom microphones.
“Thank you for coming today. We called this press conference because we have good news for the citizens of Paris. A few hours ago, on one of our routine patrols throughout the city, Chat Noir and I came across the abandoned Miraculouses of Hawkmoth and Mayura.”
The gathered reporters immediately started shouting questions, making Chat Noir’s ears curl back in mute protest. He was glad Ladybug was the one making the announcement. Even now, months after the initial reveal and despite his experience in hiding his true emotions, he wasn’t sure he could have faced the crowd so calmly without betraying himself. He kept a frown off his face, but he wasn’t smiling by any means.
Ladybug held up her hand and the shouting stopped.
“Obviously this raises many questions. There was a note attached to the jewels which answers some of them, and which I will now read for the public record.” Ladybug opened her yo-yo and pulled out the note. Chat already knew what it said, but he stood listening anyway.
“ Ladybug and Chat Noir- you win. My partner and I are relinquishing the fight, as we are getting too old to continue it. If you had given the last two akumas a chance, I would have conceded defeat through them and arranged a time and place for you to collect our jewels. Despite what many believe, my motives have ever been pure and I do not wish these to fall into unscrupulous hands. As it is, I must leave them in an inaccessible spot and hope you come across them before anyone else does. If anyone does rise up as a new Hawkmoth or Mayura, the blame will fall on you. ”
Ladybug looked back up for the cameras, her expression grave. “The jewels and note were indeed found in an inaccessible spot, and while my partner and I regularly find ourselves on that particular rooftop, for safety’s sake we try to keep our patrols random, and didn’t discover them until last night. The note explains why Hawkmoth has been quiet for so long, and I only wish we had discovered them earlier. We will, of course, relinquish the note for textual analysis to Paris’ police force, and I’m sure they will do everything they can to uncover the identities of our former enemies. However, since the jewels are now in safe hands, and magic is no longer an issue, Chat Noir and I must bow out of any further investigations, unless it becomes clear that more harmful magic is being used. Of course we hope Paris will not encounter any more supernatural threats, but if it does, rest assured we will be here to combat them. We won’t be taking any questions at this time, and I suggest you refer those you have to the Chief of Police or Mayor Bourgeois.”
With another nod, Ladybug stepped back from the podium, handing the note she still held over to the mayor. She gave Chat a small smile and then they turned and used yo-yo and baton to take them up to the roof and away, leaving a riot of shouted questions in their wake.
----
“Well, that’s over,” Marinette said, coming into the living room of the boys’ apartment with a tray bearing four mugs of ‘special’ hot-chocolate and a pair of croissants each. Adrien lounged on the couch, scrolling through the news and social media. Nino and Alya were curled into each other on one side of him. Alya had been at the press conference, of course, covering the event for the LadyBlog, since as a very junior reporter for a local news station, she didn’t have the status to cover the press conference for her actual job.
“I don’t know about ‘over,’” she commented, accepting a red and black polka-dotted mug. “Everyone’s going crazy about the sudden disappearance of Hawkmoth and what it means, throwing out theory after theory about who was behind the masks and the attacks.” She took a sip and looked at Marinette, smiling ruefully. “A lot of people are faulting you two for not catching H and M before. It seems a lot of people were looking forward to a public trial and shame-fest,” she said, significantly.
Marinette just gazed back at her steadily. “Blaming us for not catching them earlier was always going to be some people’s reaction. And at least this way, Adrien and the rest of Gabriel’s employees don’t have to pay the price for Gabriel’s villainy.” She settled back into the couch beside Adrien with her own black mug that had molded cat ears on the rim, one of them with a tiny ceramic ladybug perched on the tip.
Adrien stayed quiet, accepting the mug that was shaped like an actual ladybug. Nino, on his other side, grabbed an orange mug that had a handle shaped like a curled fox-tail, and shifted to put his feet down on the floor.
“Speaking of, how are you holding up, my man?”
Adrien gave them all a half-smile. “It’s only been two months. I still kinda want to throw him under the bus, but…” he shrugged again. “He’s not the only one who would be run over. I get that.”
Marinette and Nino both scooted closer to him.
“You know I’m team ‘throw him under a bus,’ too,” Alya said, but then her expression softened. “But I also get where Nino and Mari are coming from. I don’t want to watch you have to deal with all the suspicions, sunshine.” She extended a fist and Adrien bumped it, his strained expression relaxing.
“We’re all here for you, bro,” Nino said. “You don’t have to keep anything back or worry about making us upset or mad. You have every reason to be upset and mad and you’ve got to let some of that out.”
Adrien nodded, draining the rest of his hot chocolate. “I know. My therapist says the same thing. He doesn’t know about the superhero angle, but just from what I’ve told him in the three sessions we’ve had about how I grew up…” he shook his head. “I can’t believe I used to think that was normal.”
“You were pretty sheltered,” Marinette said, sliding her hand into his. Then she sat up and stared at him wide-eyed. “I hope you don’t think we’re doing the same thing to you that Gabriel did! Because if you do-” she started flailing her hands, “- I don’t care what we just said in front of the press! If you have even the slightest doubt that we’re trying to manipulate you, I’ll bring Gabriel in myself and confess to everything! The memory wipe, being Ladybug-”
“Whoa, Mari, stop!” Adrien cried, catching her hands. “I don’t think you’re manipulating me,” he assured her. “And it’s a good thing you’d already put your mug down, or we’d all be covered in hot chocolate right now,” he chuckled. He gave her a smile, still a little sad, but a smile all the same. “You’re forgetting that you gave me the choice. And while I did feel a little pressured to pick what you and Felix wanted, I made that choice, and I’m prepared to live with it.”
Marinette’s face crumpled with worry, but Adrien reached up and smoothed her brow. “I’m not in that house anymore, and cutting off all contact is really helping, okay? I’ll get through this- with your help, with Alya and Nino, and my therapist. It’s going to be okay.”
He leaned forward just enough to kiss her forehead. Then, as they all settled back into the couch and started watching a trashy drama, he reflected that this wasn’t so bad after all. Part of him still wanted to shout the truth from the top of the Eiffel Tower, but he supposed the reality they had had it’s good points.
Gabriel was making strides in becoming a better person, and his mom was smoothing over the feathers he still managed to ruffle. He still wasn’t ready for anything resembling a close relationship with his father, but Emilie met him for coffee from time to time and had seemed to finally accept the state of affairs. His college plans had accelerated since he’d formally quit modeling, and he was planning to propose at the end of the spring semester.
And now that Alya and Nino also knew their superhero identities, Adrien didn’t have to keep things as close to his chest.
And there was Felix and Bridgette’s wedding to look forward to. He couldn’t wait to see the dress Marinette was going to wear for it.
----
Amilie Graham de Vanily
And
Francis and Cordelia Somerset
Cordially invite you
to attend the wedding and reception
of their children
Felix Graham de Vanily and Bridgette Somerset
…
Felix scanned the invitation for any errors before approving the final draft. It was elegant but simple and suited both him and Bridgette.
“Are you sure you don’t mind?” he asked.
“Felix, it’ll be fine,” Adrien replied, on the other end of a video call. Felix had called him about the guest list when the need to proofread the invitations brought it to mind.
“I know mom would really love to be there, but I know she would hate to go without Father. I’m a big boy, I can handle being polite in a public setting. As long as you don’t seat us at the same table, we’ll make it work,” he said, with a smile that was only a little bit strained. “Besides, it’ll be six months since the reveal by the time you get married. That’s plenty of time to work out the logistics.”
Felix nodded. “I know Bridgette is looking forward to meeting just about everyone but Gabriel. I think she’s already contacted Marinette several times.”
Adrien smiled. “She has. I have to say, I think you found a great woman in Bridgette. Marinette and I both like what we’ve seen of her on video calls. We’re looking forward to meeting her in person.”
Felix smiled. “That’s settled then. All the Agrestes will be invited to the wedding.” His smile faded a little. “How are you holding up, by the way?”
“It’s been… better, since I cut off all direct contact with father,” Adrien admitted. “It all comes flooding back whenever I see him, so since I haven’t been seeing him… Mother is still trying to catch up with everything and get to know me. She was trying to reconcile us, but she’s backed off now. Gabriel… from what people tell me sometimes he acts like he has no idea why I left, and other times he seems to get it. I have to assume his memory is patchy, but accurate. Apparently he’s been treating everyone much better- not acting like a petty tyrant anymore. He’s also fired a bunch of people who were problematic to start with, including Lila. I know the fashion magazines are looking at this change in his personality as a sign of weakness, and speculate whether he’s still fit to run the company, but… honestly, the people I’m still in contact with say they’ve never been happier to work for him. He still has a long way to go but, for them at least, things are looking up.”
He paused, his eyes going distant. “I think mom is the catalyst. I still remember what Father used to be like before she disappeared, and this is sounding a lot like what I remember.” Adrien sighed. “It could have been like this all along. I wish… I promise this isn’t as terrible as it’s going to sound, but I wish I could have been enough for him.”
“Completely understandable,” Felix said. “By the way, you should know that Aunt Emilie has called my mother several times, insisting that Bridgette and I use the twin rings in the ceremony. Bridgette is still on the fence about it because of everything that went down between our families, and I’m honestly unsure how I feel about using them now. We’re still discussing it, and I don’t know what Gabriel thinks about it. I’m not sure if he even remembers me stealing his ring, since it was connected to an akumatization.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Adrien said flatly.
Felix glanced up from his laptop screen where he was finalizing the flower order and nodded. “I know, Adrien. I’m not asking you to find out, just telling you one of the reasons I’m hesitant.”
Adrien’s expression relaxed. “Talk to my mom about it, then. Like I said, she’s still learning everything that happened while she was in the coma, and sometimes she doesn’t think of things or make connections that someone who lived it would.”
“I’ll do that. Now, I’m afraid I’m about to be very anti-social so I can concentrate on finding the perfect flat. Give my love to Marinette!”
“I will. Talk to you later, Felix.”
Felix ended the call with a smile. Smiles were getting to be a much more frequent facial expression for him, and he found he liked it.
----
Felix slid the twin ring onto Bridgette’s finger with a rueful smile, but recited the vows without a single mistake, looking directly into her shining eyes. There was amusement and understanding there, and he was thankful once again that she had annoyed her way into his life. A few moments later, she was sliding the other twin ring onto his finger and making her own vows.
The officiant pronounced them husband and wife, they performed a chaste kiss that left some of their audience audibly disappointed, and then they turned to face their assembled family and friends. Felix picked out the faces of his aunt and uncle, sitting next to his crying mother, with Marinette and Adrien sitting a few rows behind them. On Bridgette’s side, he recognized all of her friends as well- all of them smiling.
----
Felix was a little worried about how the reception would go, with no orderly rows of seats dividing the Agrestes, but seemingly by mutual agreement, Marinette and Adrien stayed to one side of the hall, and his aunt and uncle kept to the other. At first Felix tried to devote himself to Bridgette, thinking she might be exhausted after all the stress and anxiety leading up to the day. But true to form, Bridgette seemed to be full of energy and after dancing once with him, abandoned him to go and dance with each of her personal friends instead. Felix made the rounds of the non-dancing guests.
When she accosted Adrien though, Felix decided to dance with Marinette.
“So,” he said, as he twirled her expertly. “Has my idiot cousin proposed yet?”
Marinette giggled. “No. But I don’t blame him. Apparently, before everything came out, he was thinking of giving me one of his mother’s rings as an engagement ring, to keep her memory alive. But now…” she glanced over to the table where Emilie was sitting with Gabriel, both of them chatting with Amilie.
Felix nodded. “He’s always been a romantic. I suppose now he’ll take another two years to find the ‘perfect’ ring.”
Marinette just smiled. “I don’t mind. We’re both still busy with school and work, and honestly we hadn’t planned to get engaged until this summer at the earliest.”
“And I suppose your extracurriculars haven’t suffered since the change?”
Marinette’s smile was sly and secretive. “Not so you’d notice. In fact, they’ve gotten a lot easier to handle. There were reasons for doing it the way I did for so many years, but I’m finding that the new way definitely has its perks as well.”
“Well, I suppose not having to deal with a terrorist routinely interrupting everyone’s day would make things easier.”
“Yes. Did they air the press conference Ladybug and Chat Noir gave here?”
“They did, but as short as it was, they still cut it down to a soundbite. I watched the full thing on the LadyBlog of course. I don’t suppose anyone will ever know their real identities- any of them.”
Marinette sighed. “Yes. Sometimes I wish things could be different. After all, some American superheroes don’t have to hide their identities. It would be nice if Paris could celebrate their heroes in their civilian forms, too. Did I tell you my class threw a party for Queen Bee once?”
“Chloe?” Felix was surprised. “But she wasn’t a hero for very long…” And for good reason, in his opinion.
“No, she wasn’t, but even so I think her brief stint helped her to mature.”
Felix just hummed. “I suppose you have a point. Now then, as lovely a dance partner as you are,” he pulled her across the dance floor, just in time to see Bridgette lightly slap Adrien’s chest and laugh, “I think I see someone else who wants to dance with you.”
“That was terrible!” Bridgette said as they approached. “I can’t believe you actually looked up wedding puns!”
Adrien grinned without a single hint of remorse and Felix caught Marinette’s eyeroll out of the corner of his eye.
“Stop corrupting my bride with your deplorable humor, Adrien,” he said. “Also, I believe you owe this young lady a dance.”
Adrien grinned. “You know, I think you may be right about that.” With a wink for Bridgette, Adrien whirled Marinette away from them.
Felix extended his hand to Bridgette, who took it with flair.
The night wore on and guests began to leave. Marinette and Adrien- staying in a hotel for the night- stuck around until the last few guests said their goodbyes. Adrien took a moment to hold both of their left hands and finger the twin rings.
“They look good on you,” he said, with a sad smile. “I hope they bring you both more happiness than… than normal rings would have,” he finished somewhat lamely. But if Adrien had been about to say what he suspected he had been about to say, Felix was glad he’d changed it into something else.
“I’m glad you came to Paris last year,” Adrien said, with a significant look which Felix acknowledged with a nod. Then his cousin wrapped his arm around Marinette and they left.
Felix, faced with an empty reception hall, guided his sleepy bride up to their honeymoon suite, reflecting that- all things considered- he was glad he’d gone to Paris, too.