She really couldn't keep doing this, even though the miraculous was fixed she was still too weak to be using it. But Nathalie was determined to fix things, and she'd stolen the miraculous again to meet up with the heroes about their plan of action.
Atop one of the taller buildings away from prying eyes, she had to lean against the railing to keep herself on her feet as she felt lightheaded.
Adrien hated having to pretend he didn't have a personal connection to Nathalie when he was Cat Noir, he wanted to help her in her sickness endives weakness. But he had to act as if he wasn't Adrien.
"So everything is planned? Adrien has a place to go?" Ladybug asked.
"He does. I've organised it with the parents of a very close friend, he'll stay with them when the time comes to escape" Nathalie replied.
"Gabriel hasn't... done anything recently has he?"
"Nothing physical. But I caught him trying to manipulate Adrien into staying home and not seeing his friends again... as usual. I stepped in"
Adrien wanted to rant about his father, bitch about his annoying that attempted manipulation was. But ladybug didn't know it was him, he had to stay silent.
"Alright, that's my biggest concern here. Is that he's able to go somewhere safe. Here's what I've come up with..." Ladybug began.
The three sat around in a circle to pay full attention, and so Nathalie could take a break from standing for a bit.
"When the time is right, when he's distracted or something take Adrien and get him to his friends place for safety. Maybe in the middle of the night so he can't stop you, when he's asleep. Once Adrien is out of the way and and in a safe place, you disarm a part of the security system so we can get in. The best way to do this is without a fight, the less violence the better. We'll steal back the miraculous when he's not looking, and once we have them and he has no possible power we get the police involved. Catch him off guard" ladybug explained.
"Good idea and all, but he's always wearing the butterfly miraculous. How do we get it off him without him noticing?" Cat asked.
"Uh... right, good point..."
"He takes it off to sleep, so he doesn't break it by accidentally leaning on it. It can all be done at night when he's sleeping, but he has a habit of staying up super late so we'll have to pick a good day to strike" Nathalie explained.
The heroes thought for a moment, coming up with ways to tweak the plan to fit the situation.
"Got it. On the night best suited for the strike, send an un-affected akuma out to find us. When we see it we'll know tonight is the night, and come as soon as we see it" Cat suggested.
Of course he'd know first hand when the time to strike was, he was Adrien after all. But sending the signal to ladybug like that would be a good way to discretely communicate it was go time.
"Good idea. As you and Adrien leave once he'd asleep, leave a window open and the security off so we can get in. Then send out the butterfly and we can sneak in. As soon we were out with the miraculous, we'll get the police down there to take him into custody. All of it happens as he's asleep and unaware, it's an ambush" Ladybug said.
"Perfect. I can definitely do that, I'll talk to the friends family about showing up late so there's no confusion on anyones end" Nathalie agreed.
They had their plan, they were ready to go. All they needed to do was wait for the right night to strike.
But, the conversation wasn't done just yet...
"Hey... I've been thinking about all of this and..." Cat began.
The two girls looked over at him, a little confused as they weren't expecting things to go any further.
"The wish. Do you think that maybe... there is a way to bring Emilie back without messing up the world? It's just... I would want my mum back too, and... Adrien deserves a mum after losing his dad to abusive behaviours..." he muttered.
It was silent a moment, Nathalie's heart breaking at the words. She wanted Emilie back, not just because she loved her but because she wanted Adrien to have his mum back.
"Cat, I know it's a horrible situation but it's so dangerous. Using the ladybug and the cat together has untold power, anything could go wrong" Ladybug said.
"I know, I know. But what if you or I made the wish? That way we know for sure there's no strings attached or alternate motives. All we wish for is Emilie to live again, so she can have a regular lifespan. No changes to the world, she lives and that's it. The public only know that she's 'presumed' dead, so the media can just say she was found alive or something. There's gotta be a way to do this, there has to be" Cat rambled.
Ladybug felt bad, she knew that Cat Noir had lost a parent too. Although her knowledge on it was limited due to them hiding their identities, she knew that he took it very hard. She couldn't imagine losing her mum... or her dad...
As the guardian she had to make the best choice for the safety of the city as well as the miraculous. And making that wish would be too dangerous, she wanted to help Adrien and Nathalie, she really did. But she just couldn't see a way to make it work.
"I know it's hard, I know it must be earth shattering to loose a parent. But... it's just too dangerous. Unless there's an exact way to make sure the only thing that comes of the wish is Emilies life, there's no way we can risk it" Ladybug said.
"Actually..." Nathalie spoke up.
The heroes turned to her, Adrien hopeful.
"There's one way... I've been thinking about it ever since she died. Someone trustworthy has to make the wish, I'd suggest Adrien. It's his mother after all, he'd have zero alternative motives. You'd have to phrase it very precise. "I wish for Emilie Graham de Vanilly's death to have never occurred". With that exact phrasing the miraculous would being her back and the world would have no memory of her dying since it never happened. Of course, we'd all remember because we're the ones involved in the wish, but the general public wouldn't.
She'd just wake up, perfectly healthy and continue to live a regular life. And you'd have to use her maiden name, using Agreste would only tie her to Gabriel and she's be revived as Gabriel's wife and not her own person. By saying her maiden name she will not define herself by her marriage, but her own identity. She'll remember everything that happened up until she died. It'd be as if she just woke from a coma" Nathalie explained.
Adrien wanted to immediately jump up and beg Ladybug to let him do it. But he had to hold back. Ladybug thought carefully, she was hesitant to allow it but... it would work.
If Adrien did it there'd be no alternative motives, and by using that exact phrasing there's be no cracks in the universe. It'd simply be as if she never died in the first place.
"I'll think about it. That's the best option regarding the wish though, it would work" Ladybug said.
"Thank you, I just want Adrien to have his mother back. And... I miss her" Nathalie replied.
Adrien could see the sadness in her eyes, she missed Emilie as badly as he did. Just in a different way.
"You love her... a lot huh?" He said.
"...yeah. I wish I'd just worked up the courage to confess to her before she married that sad excuse of a man. Although... she'd not have had Adrien then. I don't know if I could deprive her of her only son" Nathalie replied.
Ladybug suspected Nathalie had a deeper motive for getting Emilie back, so she wasn't too surprised to hear she was in love with Emilie. Funny, Nathalie was like Adriens second mum and Adrien turned out hella bisexual. Like mother like son it seemed.
Marinette would admit, she felt a little bad about blowing up at Luka the other day. She was still salty, and felt betrayed. But she knew deep down she couldn't control Adrien and the fact he was in love with Luka was out of her hands. She should just be happy for them, but she was so hung up on Adrien she found it hard to move on.
So while she was still conflicted about her feelings toward Luka, she at least wanted to grant Adrien his wish of a regular life with his mum, Nathalie and Luka after all he'd been through.
"I'll... think about the wish. For now we focus on the plan, either way... Emilie would be proud of you for doing all this for her son Nathalie" Ladybug said.
Nathalie smiled, every time she heard that she felt like she was making all the right choices.
"Thank you, I made her a promise and I intend to keep it"