If there was one thing both Chloe and Zoe wanted to change, it was their mother. Ever since they could remember, all the two sisters had ever wanted was her love. But did they have it? Was it possible to have? It would be a surprise if Audrey Bourgeois loved anything. But because they were family, they had to try.
"This is never going to work," Chloe said, not afraid to speak her mind.
Zoe flopped back down onto the couch. "Why not?" she asked, as if Chloe had not told her that fifty million times.
"For one, she's our mother. She's never going to agree to go somewhere that she didn't plan."
"Not even if it includes some of the finest foods in all of Paris?" Zoe said.
"Well, at least there's a little temptation. And second, what do we hope to accomplish once we get her there?" Chloe crossed her arms, waiting for Zoe to give her a valid answer.
"We mend our bonds. Become a real family that actually cares about each other! Or, at least start with that."
Chloe rolled her eyes. "You're as positive as Ladybug. Maybe even a little more."
Zoe smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment."
"Sure."
"Well, I'm gonna get some fresh air outside before we attempt to try our crazy plan of how to get our mother to change her ways."
Chloe wasn't paying attention. She was still thinking about what she said to Zoe about her being like Ladybug. "It's pretty cool, isn't it?"
"What?" Zoe asked, a little confused.
"Being a superhero."
Zoe froze with shock. "W-what?" she stuttered. How on earth did Chloe know she was Vesperia? Who else knew? Would she get mad? Would their sister bond end? Her heart started beating a little too quickly.
"I know your Vesperia. I know you have the bee miraculous. I saw. Or, rather, heard. But I'm not mad. Not anymore."
Zoe felt herself calm down a bit. "Really? I, I, didn't tell you because, well, it was yours first. I didn't want it to seem like...I was trying to steal it from you."
Chloe shook her head. "Yeah, that's what I thought at first. But, know I see, that I'm not Queen Bee anymore. And it's my fault. I was reckless, and I did a lot of bad things. I don't deserve it, but that doesn't mean no one else gets it just because I miss it."
Zoe sat back down, right beside Chloe. "What matters is that you can see that now. Being able to accept it is what truly makes you a hero. And no matter what happens, you'll always be Queen Bee to me."
Chloe smiled, and before she knew it, Zoe had pulled her into yet another hug. She did that a lot, and surprisingly, Chloe had grown to like it. It was so warm, inviting, it felt like someone actually cared for once. Having a sister was the best thing in the world, she realized.
***
To Chloe's surprise, Zoe's plan actually worked. She had to admit, when she wanted to be, Zoe could be a pretty dang good actress. No wonder Chloe hadn't been able to tell the difference between her faking it and being sincere.
It was that very evening when they got their mother, and father too, to go to a fancy restaurant in Paris together. Chloe was nervous, and so was Zoe. That's why they were holding hands. But only when their mother wasn't looking. She probably wouldn't know what to think when she found out that her daughters weren't really mean and pushy like her at all. Which was exactly why both of them were scared. Was it possible for them to mend their family bonds?
"The seating in this place is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous! I should be seated two inches farther away from the window so I don't get tanned!" Audrey Bourgeois exclaimed in horror.
Andre Bourgeois was having a hard time reassuring his wife. "Now, dear, I'm sure it will be alright-"
"Alright! It is not alright!"
"Maybe getting slightly tanned isn't such a bad thing," Zoe cut in. She bit her tongue afterward, not sure if that was the right thing to say. But no worries. Chloe was there to have her back.
"She's right! You would look lovely with a slight tan mother!"
Audrey placed a hand on her hip as she thought about it. "You think so?"
All three other family members eagerly shook their heads.
"I suppose I won't have to fire the people working here then."
They ordered the first course of food when Zoe kicked Chloe's leg under the table. She was about to yell at her and asked why she did that when she saw her expression. Right. It was time to put the first part of their plan in motion.
"Mom, uh, at school, there's, a, uh, career day, where our parents show up, and tell the class about what their job is. I was wondering if maybe-"
"Your father can do that! I am much too busy!"
"It's just for-"
"Chlorine- Chloe, I've already told you! I will not do such a thing! Go to a mere classroom for children? Unthinkable!"
Chloe shot Zoe an I-told-you-so look. Zoe shrugged.
They waited a few minutes before trying again. This time, it was Zoe's turn. If they could just convince their mom to go to a fun event with them, or do something, anything at all with them, they could maybe get a little closer.
"Uh, mom?" Zoe asked.
"Yes, dear?" She said, hardly looking up from her phone.
"This Summer, when you're not too busy, I was thinking that maybe we should go back to New York. All of us. Together, as a family!"
Audrey shot her a look, and Zoe continued on before she could stop her. "Chloe's never been, well, once, but there's so much to show her! And it would be a fun experience, together-"
"Zoe, dear, you know how busy I am. That would be so exhausting to add to my schedule."
"Well, I suppose so. But...family is worth it...right?"
This was the moment of truth. Perhaps the one chance they had to see if their mother, deep, deep, down, actually cared about them. Both girls wished ever so dearly that she did, but a part of them wasn't so sure.
"Well, I..." Audrey let her words drift off as if she wasn't so sure herself. Everyone's hearts were racing. Then, before they could continue, the waiter came with their food.
Oh great. Chloe thought. There goes their one chance to find out if their mother even remotely cared about them.
"What kind of steak is this!" Audrey yelled, practically jumping out of her seat.
"T-bone. Cooked medium rare ma'am," the waiter said. Boy, he had no idea what he was in for.
"Medium rare! You call that medium rare! This is overcooked, burnt practically! You should be fired for this inconvenience immediately! Correct Zoe, Chloe?"
Both sisters stood idly by, without saying a word. A part of them naturally wanted to agree with their mother, yet, they couldn't anymore. They'd grown beyond that. They'd chosen to be different people. They weren't going to live in their mother's shadow.
"You're fired! You're fired! All of you!" Audrey was already halfway out the door before Chloe had recovered. What had just happened? Her mom had just...flipped. Over a steak. How could someone get upset so easily? Then she thought of herself, all those years she'd spent trying to be just like her mother...oh how wrong she had been.
Andre Bourgeois was already chasing after his wife, once again trying to calm her down. Chloe and Zoe had stood up, but now they were frozen in place. Both of them began to wonder, was there even a chance their mother could love anyone?
"Are you okay?" Zoe asked Chloe.
She shook her head. "I'm just glad I chose not to be like her. She has everything, except what really matters. Love. Family."
Chloe didn't have any doubts anymore. She had seen what her mother had been like, and she knew that she did not want to live that life. It might look glamorous on the outside, but on the inside, it was miserable and lonely. You had to be kind and deserving to have people who cared about you.
Chloe knew she had made the right decision. It had been tough, but she had changed her ways. She was still working on being a better person, but no matter how hard or challenging it was, she knew it would always be better than living a lonesome life where you hated everyone and the world around you.
***
Luka let out a long sigh. It was what he had feared would happen. Today was career day for his sister Juleka's class. Their mom was busy, so Luka thought this would be a great opportunity for his father to bond with his sister. His mother had tried to warn him how untrustworthy and unpredictable Jagged Stone could be, but Luka didn't listen. He wanted to believe that he could rely on his father, but he had been wrong.
"He didn't come today," Juleka mumbled. Luka's whole heart was crushed inside of him. He had let his sister down too.
"Stay here. I'm going to sort some things out." Luka knew exactly where his father would be. The Bourgeois hotel.
Even though it was already the evening, Luka paddled as fast as he could on his bike over to the hotel. Chloe, nor Zoe happened to be there, but that wasn't the reason Luka had come.
"Luka! How nice of you to come by!" Jagged Stone remarked as soon as he saw his son.
Luka wasn't falling for it. "Why didn't you come to school today? You said you would, and you didn't."
A shocked expression crossed Jagged Stone's face. "Oh, that was today? I forgot. Sorry."
"You let my sister down. This isn't the first time you've said you'll be somewhere and you haven't." It hurt Luka a lot more than he liked to admit. It was great, finally getting to meet his father, but now he was starting to understand why his mother had kept it a secret all these years. She didn't want her kids to accidentally get hurt by their father's carelessness.
"Luka, I'm sorry. Next time-"
"No!" Luka yelled back. "That's what you always say, but you never mean it. Can't you see we're giving you a chance? I don't want to play this game my whole life."
"Luka-"
"No- just- I need to be by myself." Luka left before Jagged Stone could stop him. He needed to go somewhere where he could think freely.
***
It was just as Luka had reached the Saint-Martin canal when he saw that he wasn't alone. Chloe was sitting cross-legged, right at the spot where he had first seen her. Luka approached her and took a seat down beside her.
"You okay?" he asked. She wasn't crying, but her eyes looked watery.
"I think so. As good as I can be, considering the circumstances." Chloe let out a ragged breath, once again thinking back to everything that had just happened.
"Yeah."
"Rough day too?" Chloe asked, after looking at him.
"Yeah," Luka admitted. He didn't want to talk about it, and he could tell Chloe didn't want to either. So they just sat there, watching the sunset. It was peaceful, and comforting to just sit there beside each other. It made them both feel calm in a way they couldn't explain.
"You know Luka, I've decided something," Chloe announced. He waited patiently for her to continue. "I'm glad I made the choices I did. It's been hard, adjusting and changing my ways, but I think it's been worth it. Because now I can finally see how awful I was. I don't want to end up bitter and alone. Not like my mother." She bit her lip to stop herself from crying.
"So what are you going to do?" Luka asked.
Chloe shrugged. "Family is forever. You can't give up on them, no matter what."
Luka shook his head. She was right, of course. He would always be there to give his father another chance. He could only hope that one day, he would finally be able to fix his mistakes.
Without thinking, Chloe reached out and grabbed Luka's hand. It felt so warm, so nice. She squeezed it tightly and held it even closer. "Thank you, Luka, for being here for me."
"Always."