A/N - New Chapter a week early! But be warned, you might need tissues for this one
"Alya, I don't know what to do?"
Marinette dropped her head onto Adrien's shoulder as they sat in front of his computer. Alya shared a worried glance with Nino sitting beside her. It was bad enough that Shadow Moth had figured out their identities, but him now having the whole Miracle Box, only minus the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous, could be more dangerous than anyone could imagine.
But what was worrying Alya more was the fact that Marinette looked like she was on the verge of a breakdown. Between being kicked out of ESMOD, Lila insulting her and now the Miracle Box being gone, it was all too much to take in one afternoon. She knew Marinette was strong, but it was clear she was beginning to break and the only thing holding her together right now was Adrien.
"Can't you access the Miraculous through your yo-yo? You could just retrieve them individually?" Alya suggested. Before anyone could answer though, Nino grabbed her arm.
"Hold up babe, Shadow Moth would expect something like that. What if it, I don't know, opened up some interdimensional wormhole portal thing or something?" He urged with a panicked look.
Alya pushed her glasses back up along her nose with an unamused look. "Nino, seriously? Have you been watching those weird late night B grade sci-fi movies again?"
"No, he might be right." Adrien interjected. "We don't really know the extent of what Shadow Moth might be capable of. You just have to look at some of the past Akumas and Amoks to know that he is only limited by his imagination." He looked over to the side where Tikki and Plagg were sitting, but neither Kwami could confirm or deny anything.
"Yeah, some of those villains were totally off the wall at times." Nino nodded along with what his best friend was saying. Alya looked at her boyfriend and back at Adrien with her arms folded.
"You know, this isn't helping." She deadpanned. "You two nerds just have overactive imaginations."
"It's alright Alya. Adrien's right, we don't know what Shadow Moth might be capable of." Marinette let out a heavy sigh. "I must be the worst Guardian that ever lived." She lamented, sliding her head off Adrien's shoulder and letting it fall to the desk with a thud.
"Well knocking yourself out isn't going to help m'lady." Adrien said, pulling her up by the shoulders back into her seat. "Bug, look at me." He whispered softly, gently turning her tear stained eyes towards him. "You are, and always have been, a great Ladybug and Guardian. We will find a way through this, together alright. You and me against the world."
He leaned forward, wrapping her up in a hug as the four of them went silent for a moment before Alya ventured to speak again. "What if...what if you contacted the Guardians at the temple?"
"What? Alya no." Marientte said, suddenly pulling out of Adrien's grasp. She got up and started pacing around the room, hugging herself.
"But why not?" Alya persisted. "You could talk to that Su-Han you told me about. This wouldn't be the first time a Miracle Box has been taken or gone missing. They might know what to do."
"Absolutely not." Marinette insisted, gripping the back of her empty chair and leaning over at the computer. "Su-Han trusted me, he put his faith in me to be the Guardian against all the rules of the temple. If I tell him about this he will take the box back off me and force me to relinquish Guardianship. I'll lose my memories. I won't even...I won't know..."
Adrien got up and swiftly held her to him as she broke down. Alya gave Nino a sorrowful look. Yes, telling the Guardians at the temple would no doubt help, but they wouldn't do it at the cost of Marinette's memory. Adrien continued to try and soothe her tears, gently stroking her hair as she sobbed and encouraging her to breathe.
"I don't want to forget you Adrien. I don't want to ever forget us." She cried into his shirt and she gripped onto him.
"You won't be forgetting anything." He assured her, resting his chin on her head. "I won't let that happen. We can find another way." He looked back towards Alya and Nino, the two affirming that contacting the Guardians would only be a last resort.
"Girl, I wish I could hug you right now, but there is no way we can come back right now, at least not until the end of next week at the earliest."
"It's alright." Marinette said, taking a tissue being offered to her from Tikki and wiping her eyes. Nino couldn't help being slightly amused by the sight of the "floating" tissue across the screen.
"Kagami will be back in a few days." Adrien added. "In the meantime, we just need to lay low."
"Aren't you going to look for Shadow Moth Dude?" Nino queried, but Adrien shook his head.
"I don't think we need to go looking for him, Nino, I'm pretty sure he will be the one to come looking for us. Unfortunately, he has the advantage on us right now."
"Okay, but if anything changes you call pus right away." Alya urged. "And get a hold of Kagami the moment she gets back."
"We will." Adrien affirmed before they wrapped up the call.
He brushed Marientte's bangs out of her face and kissed her on the forehead, guiding her over to sit on the bed, the two sitting quietly in each other's embrace. No words needed to be spoken, all Marinette needed right now was to feel him there holding her.
The serenity was soon interrupted by a knocking at the door. Tikki and Plagg abruptly went and hid while Adrien called out "Come in". Tentatively, Félix opened the door.
"Adrien?" Félix called out."I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?"
"It's alright Félix." Marinette said, standing up and wiping her eyes. "You can come in."
"You two didn't come down to dinner, I just wanted to check in, that's all." Félix explained, looking a little uncomfortable. "I...heard about the ESMOD thing. I'm sorry."
"Father told you what they accused her of?" Adrien asked. Félix nodded his head.
"Yes, well since you were good enough to leave me to dine with him alone, I didn't have much of a choice but to listen to him ranting." Adrien only gave him a half hearted apology. "I admit I don't know you that well Marinette, but for what it's worth, I don't believe what they accused you of."
"Thank you Félix." She said with a small smile. "That means a lot."
Adrien could see something seemed to be bothering Félix. Granted he hadn't had the best day himself, although Adrien knew Lila's departure from his cousin's life could only be a good thing.
"Is everything alright Félix?" Adrien asked.
Félix ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't want to take you away from Marientte." Félix replied. "I just wanted to talk about some stuff, but it can wait until tomorrow."
"No, please." Marinette insisted. "Don't worry about me. You and Adrien deserve some time together. I've monopolated my husband far too much this week and I know you two would have things to talk about."
"Are you sure Princess?" Adrien asked, taking her hand in his with a light squeeze.
"Of course." She smiled back reassuringly. "I might go for a walk around the grounds and get some fresh air." Adrien gave her a worried look and she gently patted his cheek. "Don't worry, I won't leave the grounds, I promise."
"Alright." Adrien smiled back, lifting her hand to his lips and kissing her palm. "Just call out if you need me."
~~~~~
Marinette walked along the pathway that snaked around the Agreste mansion. There were some dark clouds overhead now and there was a cold breeze blowing, so she brought the collar of her coat up around her neck. It was easy to forget that there was a road on the other side of the high walls, it was so tranquil, like you were hidden away from the rest of the world.
Ahead, Marinette spied a small alcove surrounded by an evergreen creeping vine. There were no flowers now at this time of year, but Marinette could imagine there would be beautiful blossoms in the spring.
Nestled inside the alcove was a stone statue of a woman. Even in the fading light, Marinette could see her countenance was serine. She recognised it was Adrien's mother from the pictures in his room. She stood there awhile, looking at the image and wondering what Adrien's mother must have been like. She knew that physically Adrien resembled her, in fact there seemed little of his father in his appearance at all, but she wondered if his kind heart and fierce protectiveness were traits he had inherited from her too. Adrien certainly didn't reflect much of his father, except perhaps his rash temper. But unlike Gabriel, anger was always only a fleeting emotion for Adrien. It was one of the reasons she trusted him with the Cat Miraculous. That kind of destructive power in the hands of someone driven by anger would be highly dangerous and needed to be safeguarded at all costs.
"She is beautiful, is she not?"
Marinette was startled by the cold voice behind her. It sounded more like an observation rather than a man longing for his lost love. Marientte looked up into his ashen features as Gabriel moved to stand beside her, still looking at the statue.
"What happened to her?" She ventured to ask. She had asked Adrien before, but was surprised at how little he seemed to have known. He had fleeting memories, almost dream-like, of the last night he had seen her, but the rest had been kept a mystery. She supposed for his own sanity, Adrien had pushed most questions he had to the back of his mind, but she knew how much it hurt him.
"She's no longer with us." He said cryptically.
Marinette looked back at the statue. "So, she died then?" There was only silence beside her. Marinette turned back to Gabriel, her eyebrows furrowed at the hardened look in his features. The air suddenly seemed to feel even colder. "Mr Agreste?"
"She's..." For a fleeting moment, Marinette thought she could see an emotion flit past Gabriel's eyes - regret. Perhaps the loss of his wife had been harder on him than she thought and she felt bad for asking. Maybe she had misjudged him.
"Is there something I can do?" She asked, not sure what kind of comfort she could offer the man who had been nothing but a brick wall to her.
"There is something you can do, Marinette." He said suddenly, turning to her. "There is something I want to show you, something that I hope will make you understand why I have done the things I have and why I have been so protective of Adrien. Follow me."
Marinette faulted as Gabriel started to walk back down the path. Something inside her was screaming not to follow him but to go get Adrien. She shook her head at herself for being so irrational. Gabriel may not be a picnic to be around, but he was family now. After all, he had offered them protection after the break-in at the apartment. That must mean he cares somewhat.
Gabriel stopped a little way ahead and beckoned her with his hand to follow. She pushed her doubts aside and walked towards him, following him back into the mansion. Walking through the foyer towards Gabriel's office, Marinette heard the low murmur of Adrien and Félix talking in the sitting room. She was glad the two cousins were having some time together, especially now that Lila was out of the picture and out of Felix's life. The last thing she would have ever wanted was to have that liar as a relative.
In the office, Gabriel motioned for Marinette to come and stand beside him in front of the large painting of Emilie. She had only seen inside Gabriel's office a few times, but she assumed that there was a safe behind the artwork.
"You must understand what I am about to show you not even Adrien knows about. By the time we are finished here, I'm sure you will appreciate that it must remain that way." There was a hint of something threatening in his voice as he spoke.
Marinette felt Tikki in her bag pushing against her thigh and a sense of dread fell over her. She was about to run when to her surprise, instead of opening the painting, Gabriel pushed his fingers into hidden buttons within the artwork. He then grabbed her wrist as the floor under her feet began to lower.
The elevator opened up into a large cavern with a single beam of light emitting from the far end of a walkway. Gabriel stepped ahead of her and began to walk towards the light. Marinette was barely conscious of her own feet as she made her way towards the object at the other end.
At the end of the walkway, Marinette approached the strange pod-like object that was under the light.
"What is it?" Her voice echoed in the large space.
Gabriel made no response but pressed a button to the side of the pod. The solid lid slid back to reveal a lid of glass underneath, and a woman who appeared to be asleep. Marinette let out a gasp, her hands flying to her mouth as she recognised the woman in the camber.
"She is the eternal reminder of the mistake I made." Gabriel's voice sounded far off in the distance as Marinette's body shook with adrenaline.
"Mistake...?" She whispered.
"Yes." Gabriel confirmed. "You see I accused Emilie of having an affair."
"I don't understand." Marinette said bewildered.
"I had told her not to use it." Gabriel continued, walking closer to the sarcophagus and placing his hand on the glass. He seemed to have been talking to himself more than Marinette. "She had promised me she wouldn't use it again until I had found a way to fix it, but she went behind my back. With no other explanation, it seemed logical she was using it to secretly meet with her lover. We argued that last night, and she threatened to leave with Adrien. I couldn't let that happen. She would have taken the Peacock Miraculous with her."
Marinette took a step back away from Gabriel, her eyes wide and her heart was beating in her mouth. No, it couldn't be. It was at that moment something fluttered by her face, a white butterfly. For the first time, Marinette looked around the room and saw the room was full of green plants and white hanging crysilists. She felt like her legs would fall out from under her as more white butterflies rose up and fluttered around the room.
At that moment, it felt as though Marinette's own heart had stopped. "No..." She gasped, barely able to breath. "You're....you're."
"Yes." He said firmly, his voice reverberating off the walls. "Yes, I am Shadow Moth." He then turned to her and looked her dead in the eyes. "And you are Ladybug."
"You...you were the one that sent those men to attack me!" She yelled angrily.
Gabriel turned and walked over the wall. Pressing an unviable button, a hidden panel opened to reveal the Miracle Box.
"I hadn't intended for you to be harmed, I assure you. I just needed a way to convince Adrien you needed protection in the house. I knew the Miracle Box would soon follow. The sewing box was an ingenious idea, I must confess. I never would have been able to open it without Nooroo." He said, placing the box on a table by the pod.
Marinette shook her head, the tears pooling in her eyes. She looked back over to Emilie lying in the sarcophagus "Adrien." She whispered. "He..."
"He doesn't know anything." Gabriel said with little emotion. "Emilie was my wife, I couldn't allow her to leave me like that and take Adrien with her. He was rapidly becoming the face of the company, there was too much riding on him. All I wanted to do was stop her leaving when I grabbed the Miraculous from her." He stood with his fists clenched and his teeth gritted, as though in his mind he was reliving the moment. "She fell and hit her head. With the side effects of the broken Miraculous plaguing her, she slipped into an eternal sleep."
"So...she's not dead?" Marinette murmured.
"No." He replied. "But at this stage she may as well be. Even with both your miraculous, I can't take back what happened that night." Then something dark crossed his eyes. "Besides, there's Adrien."
"What about Adrien?" Marinette asked, alarmed.
Gabriel smirked at her. "Didn't you ever wonder why he was so perfect? Why I took such pains to protect him from the world? Now he is all that is left of her. How ironic that the very thing she created should have been the one fighting against me. The black sheep turned out to be the black cat."
Marientte's eyes grew wide. "What are you saying?" Gabriel didn't give her an answer, but she understood the implication implicitly. "No, I don't believe you. It can't be true, it just can't ." She yelled hysterically. There was no way, no way at all that Adrien, her Kitty, the man she loved, who had sacrificed himself a thousand times over could possibly be...
"Are you so sure Marientte? Perhaps I could go get his amok and you can see what happens when I crush it between..."
"No." She called out, her hands flying in front of her as she was suddenly gripped with fear. "No, don't hurt him. Please don't hurt him."
A smirk spread across Gabriel's face. "I knew you would see reason. It appears the life you thought you could have will not be the one you will get with Adrien."
Marinette slumped to her knees, her tears barely contained. "What do you want from me?" She heaved. "Why are you doing this to us?"
"I'm not doing anything to you Marinette. Really I'm doing you a favour. Adrien was only ever meant as a tool to accelerate the brand. Emilie was the one wanting a child. It was something you wanted though, wasn't it? Too bad children will never be part of Adrien's future."
Something inside of Marinette died at his words. All she had dreamed about since she was fourteen was a family with Adrien - three kids, a nice house and a pet hamster. A fools dream it would seem now. She would have traded anything to have had that. Right now she would have traded the world.
"What do you want from me?" She asked feebly.
"I want you to leave this house and never return." Gabriel said coldly. "In exchange for your silence on the matter, I will give you back the Miracle Box. I will even give you the Butterfly and Peacock. I'm done with all this, done with Emilie and her hold on my mind. But you must leave by morning."
"And what if I refuse?" She said, trying to keep the fight alive within her. "I'm still Ladybug, and Adrien is still Chat Noir. We could fight you. I have a whole team backing us up. We could win."
Gabriel crouched down in front of her. "Perhaps." He said unfazed. "But you are forgetting one thing, Ladybug. I have the Miracle Box and I have the amok and only I know where it is. Now either you are gone by morning, or Adrien is gone permanently and I will use the Peacock Miraculous to create a replacement that won't even know who you are."
She turned her eyes away from him and felt her world shatter around her. All her hopes, all her dreams gone in the blink of one afternoon. Her career and the life she thought they would have stripped away.
She looked over at the Miracle Box on the table. The reign of Shadow Moth could end now, and Paris would be free. Even if she and Adrien tried to fight him, she didn't know where the amok was hiding. Shadow Moth could destroy the object and Adrien would be gone forever. No amount of Miraculous Ladybugs would be able to bring him back. They had learned that the hard way with Sentibug all those years ago. A hollow feeling sunk inside her.
"You leave me with no choice." She said disparagingly.
"That was the idea." He replied coldly, standing back up and picking up the box. "Meet me in the foyer at 3am sharp. Pack a suitcase, because you won't be returning. I will give you the box, the Miraculous and further instructions then. If you step out of line before you leave, if you let anything slip to Adrien, you know what the consequences will be."
~~~~~
Félix took a long sip of his bottle of CC&Dry. Adrien had opted out of alcohol on this occasion, preferring to stick with milk. With the Miracle box out in the open somewhere, he didn't want to lose control of his faculties in case Shadow Moth made an appearance and he needed to transform in a hurry.
"How did your mother take the news about Lila?" Adrien asked. Félix let out a heavy sigh.
"She was shocked to say the least. She thought Lila was a nice girl and never suspected she was so underhanded. I mean, she was a vixen, sure, but to a fake pregnancy and spying for your father? Well, good riddance I guess."
"And you said she was destroying papers?"
Félix nodded as he took another drink. "Aside from the embezzlements from the company, I'm pretty sure Gabriel was paying people off, including the Mayor. What he's hiding, I'm not sure. I'm planning on going back to London tomorrow afternoon and seeing what information is left." He then leaned forward and gave Adrien a very serious look. "This might be a weird question, but do you know anything about a cryogenic chamber?"
Adrien looked at him puzzled. "A what?" He then shook his head. "Come on Félix, what would my father want with one of those? That sounds like some rubbish Lila made up."
Félix flopped back into his seat and took another drink. "You might be right." He conceded. "But humour me for a minute, what do you remember about the night your mother left?"
"My..." Adrien looked away from Félix and into the fireplace. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, letting the images fill his mind. "There was a storm. I heard my parents arguing in the office. He accused her of having an affair which she denied. There was a loud noise. It might have been thunder, I'm not sure. In the morning he told me she had left to get treatment at a hospital. She'd been sick for a while you see and then as time went on, he said she wasn't coming back. I guess I assumed she died."
Félix had listened to what Adrien said. Gabriel had told something similar to Amelie, but Felix's mother never believed it. She knew her sister, she would have told her if she was going to a hospital, or if she had run away.
"Did he ever tell you why she was sick?"
Adrien shook his head. "She used to have dizzy spells." Then a thought occurred to him. "Nathalie used to have dizzy spells too years ago. She isn't as bad now, but they still come and go."
"Come to think of it, where is Nathalie?" Félix asked with a frown.
"She left to go see her mother. I'm not sure where the place is, but it's some nursing home in the country. It's almost impossible to get hold of her when she goes there. The reception is terrible."
Félix just hummed. He went to get a cigarette out, but the look on Adrien's face made him change his mind. "You're right, I should quit." He said, putting the packet and lighter back with an embarrassed smile.
"Something else is bothering you isn't it?" Adrien asked. Félix fidgeted in his seat, uncrossing and recrossing his legs, grabbing his highly polished boot with one hand.
"Adrien, is it possible that there is a secret room somewhere in the house? Someplace you don't know about?"
Adrien shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe. I mean these kinds of old houses used to have secret passages built into them. There were a lot of rooms I was never allowed into as a kid so I'm a little embarrassed to say there could be rooms I don't know about."
Félix considered him for a moment. He'd forgotten how much more restrictive Adrien's life had been compared to his own. "Don't worry about it." He said with a half smile. "I know what your father's like and I understand. I'll come back within the fortnight, and we can look together." He raised his drink with a nod before taking another mouthful.
"A fortnight hey? Do I get the feeling you're seeing someone else besides me?"
Félix almost choked on his drink. "Nothing officially. Chloé's still pretty hurt, and I don't blame her, but we're going to take things slow for now. Just, learn to be friends again and see where it goes from there." He said with a shy smile.
By the time Adrien and Félix finished up, it was getting late and much of the household was now quiet. Adrien slipped wordlessly into his room and found Marinette already in bed with the lights out. He felt bad that he had left her alone for so long, even though she was with Tikki, but Félix really needed someone to talk to.
As he slipped off his clothes and threw on a bed shirt, Adrien thought back over his conversation with his cousin. Just supposing Félix was right, and his father did buy a cryogenic chamber, what does that even mean? Could he have bought it for himself for future use? Or was there something more sinister behind it? Was his mother somewhere in the house and he didn't even know about it? He shook his head as the thoughts swirled around. He's been lied to so much in his life, he didn't know who or what to believe anymore, except for Marinette.
Getting into bed next to his wife, Adrien realised that she was still awake, silent tears slipping down her cheeks and glistening in the low light.
"Hey." He said softly, wrapping his arms around her, and pulling her back into his chest. "Hush now m'lady. I'm sorry I left you for so long."
"It's not that." She choked out, holding onto his arms around her. "I'm just afraid."
Adrien gently stroked the side of her head. "You don't have to be afraid, Little Bug. I'm here, I'll always be here. In the morning we can ring Alya back, perhaps have a plan ready for when Shadow Moth contacts us. No doubt he has his own plans in place. I'll talk to Kagami too. Maybe we could even bring Chloé back into the team..."
Marientte turned around and buried her face against him. She placed her hand on his chest and could feel his heartbeat, the same steady rhythm that always comforted her. Was it even real? She couldn't grasp the thought of it. Everything inside her told that it was a lie, but she couldn't be sure. She couldn't risk his life. Real or not, sentimonster or not, he was Adrien and she loved him too much for that.
When a sob rose up from her throat again, Adrien held her even tighter, kissing her on the top of her head.
"It will all be alright m'lady." He assured her, kissing her head again. "You just need some sleep now and rest yourself. Everything will seem better in the morning. You'll see."
Marinette didn't answer him, but her tears had begun to subside and Adrien saw that as a little victory.
"I love Marinette." He whispered in her ear.
"I love you too Kitty, so very much." She looked up at him, and just made out his emerald eyes in the darkened room. "Promise me, you will always remember I love you."
Adrien was a little puzzled, but just smiled. "Always." He said, giving her a soft kiss before curling her back up in his arms.
It didn't take long for Adrien to fall asleep. He always slept better when his lady was in his arms. Marinette, however, couldn't sleep at all. She just wanted to listen to him breathing and feel the softness of his skin next to hers, basking in his warmth and the smell of him. She wanted to remember them. She wanted to imprint every part of him to her memory and her heart.
As 3am approached, she carefully pried herself away from him. He looked so peaceful with his hair messy around his face. She could see Chat so clearly in him when he was like this. She wanted to kiss him, to hold him tight to her and never let go, but she didn't dare wake him.
Getting out of bed, the coldness of his absence hit her. Marinette saw that Tikki hadn't slept either, despite Plagg's content purring beside her. The sadness in Tikki's eyes reflected her own.
After changing her clothes and putting on her coat, Marinette retrieved her suitcase from the inside of the wardrobe which she had packed earlier, leaving plenty of room for the promised Miracle Box. Taking a letter out from her pocket, she placed it on top of Adrien's piano, along with a small velvet box.
She was about to walk out when she suddenly stopped and looked back at her sleeping husband. There was one Miraculous that wasn't in the box. If Gabriel was to get his hands on it, he could bring unspeakable destruction. Ever so quietly she approached the bed and carefully slipped the Miraculous from his finger, an unsuspecting Plagg sucked into it. She knew the Cat Kwami would be angry with her when he found out, she just hoped that he would understand.
"I'm so sorry Kitty." She whispered, covering her mouth to hold back the tears that had begun to pool in her eyes. Before she could change her mind, she raced out of the room.
Gabriel was already waiting for her as she made her way down the grand staircase. As promised, he had the Miracle box with him. When she approached the door, he opened it and handed her an envelope.
"I have a plane ticket for you and there is some cash to get you by. I advise you to take the first plane out of the country, however I warn you against going near London. Once you are away, you may contact your parents to say you are fine, but not where you are."
Marinette looked down at the ground, not wanting to face him. "I understand." She said quietly.
Gabriel then put his hand in his pocket and handed her the last two Miraculous - the Butterfly and the Peacock. Marinette looked at them before putting them in the box and placing the lot into her suitcase.
"Promise me, your solemn promise that nothing will ever happen to Adrien." She said, looking out the door into the dark foggy morning.
"I give you my word." Gabriel vowed. Marinette turned her eyes to him, her heart breaking as his own hardened. "You need not worry about Adrien. He will soon forget this and move on. I always win Ladybug, one way or another."
Marinette closed her eyes, and a tear rolled down. Stepping out into the fog, there was a taxi already waiting for her. As the car pulled away, the skies above broke and the rain came cascading down. She placed her hand on the glass as the mansion became obscured in the distance by the rain streaking across the window. She didn't bother to conceal the tears anymore.
A few hours later, Adrien woke up with a start. He'd had the strangest dream that he had heard Marinette leave through the night. He ran his fingers through his hair as he sat up and caught his breath.
"M'lady?" He called out, thinking she must have been in the bathroom. When there was no answer he got up and opened the window. It had rained at some point, but the skies were clearing now.
"Marinette, are you alright?" He called again, before seeing that the bathroom was empty. He looked around the room. Everything was quiet, too quiet.
"Plagg?" He called. "Plagg, where are you?"
It was at this moment he realised that there was nobody in the room. No Plagg, no Tikki and no Marinette. Fear gripped him as he looked at his right hand. His Miraculous was gone.
"Marientte." He gasped, looking around frantically. As he made his way to his bedroom door, he spied a letter on the piano next to a small box.
Opening the box, he saw Marinette's engagement and wedding rings inside and tears came to his eyes. With shaking hands, he opened the letter.
My darling Adrien,
The easiest thing I ever did was fall in love with you, and the hardest to say goodbye.
Shadow Moth came to me yesterday with an ultimatum: we could fight him in an all out battle, but he would have the advantage of the Miracle Box and your fate, my love, would have been sealed. Or he would return the Miracle Box and all the Miraculous, and guarantee your life. It wasn't really a choice: I chose your life.
You sacrificed your life for mine more times than I could ever count and now it was my turn to give something of myself for yours. My love and my happiness was the price I paid for peace in Paris. To walk away from you forever, was the price I paid for your life.
I love you Kitty, I always have and I always will and although we can't be together, know that you will always be in my heart. You are a part of me, my other half and the love of my life. No matter where I go, or what I may do, I will always love you.
Please forgive me.
I will love you always
Marinette x