A/N: Merry Christmas!! ❄️🎄☃️
A mention to the episode, Robustus will be made. Also, in this AU, Nathalie doesn't know Gabriel is Hawkmoth.
"All that was left was Plagg... and his miraculous."
"H-He just... disappeared into thin air?" Chloe attempted to ask, seeing as Ladybug was left just as speechless as Adrien. Thankfully Nathalie was very discreet when mentioning Marinette's name, so he didn't hear when she used it, but he did listen to her story about losing her partner.
"Is Ladybug going to..." Alya's voice grew weak.
Nathalie didn't reply immediately, but she tried to wipe away the traces that her tears left. Her Felix had suffered, and now was her chance to help someone else, like he had done for her. The problem was that only Felix had known how to stop her development, yet he couldn't end his own. She felt just as clueless as Ladybug did.
"She can't die!" Adrien blurted out, almost angrily. Ladybug would've used words to console him or at least try to assure that she wasn't going to die, but now she wasn't even sure.
If it came down to... that, she would need her partner to promise her something important. She had to do it before it was too late.
"I need to talk to Chat Noir."
The spotted heroine ran out of the office, leaving them behind.
"Adrien, didn't you say you had a photo shoot?" Chloe asked, remembering how obvious it was that her old friend was Chat Noir. He needed an escape, and now was the chance.
Adrien gaped at her, unsure of whether or not she knew. She narrowed her icy eyes, giving a curt nod in confirmation. That was all he needed to know.
"Oh... right! Silly me!" Adrien laughed nervously, making his way to escape.
"Adrien, it isn't scheduled until tomorrow," Nathalie reminded him, causing him to flash an anxious look to Chloe.
"That's because... my daddy told a bunch of photographers that Adrien would model for free, seeing as he is my childhood best friend! Those pictures are for me, so I won't be paying him squat!" Chloe crossed her arms, turning her head slightly to look at Adrien with a risen eyebrow.
"Uh... I guess. I mean, BFF's for life! I have to go! The appointment is right now! Chloe, I need you there for assistance," the blonde requested, widening his eyes and flicking them toward the door.
Chloe rolled her eyes and followed him out into the now darkened outdoors. "Of course I know you're Chat Noir!" she hissed, glaring at him once they were away from the office, "But someone is waiting to talk to you and she's blind so hurry up before she goes somewhere you can't find her! Especially at nighttime!"
"How did you- we'll talk about this later! I'll be back!" Adrien quickly changed the subject, running into a corner to transform.
Once he did so, Chloe pointed him in the direction of his partner. Chat Noir rushed to her side, causing Ladybug to turn at his arrival.
"Adrien?" She questioned, being that she hadn't left the ground and his scent still reeked of strong Camembert, but a cologne that was likely used in an attempt to cover up the horrid stench.
"Nope, Chat Noir," he told her, but the girl's eyes narrowed in confusion.
"I think you're confusing," Ladybug declared.
"And you're not wrong... or quiet. Let's go somewhere else to talk about this," he whispered, taking her by the arm gently to escort her to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
"I can get there myself," she grumbled, but Chat Noir held her securely as he raised the two with his staff.
"I know, but I can't risk losing you," he replied quietly as they reached the top.
He slowly released her from his grip once they sat down at their usual spot, swinging their legs over the high distance from the ground. The air made Chat nervous about Ladybug's safety, so he held her arm once again. He noticed how the lights of the city behind him sparkled in orb-like sequences. It was a beautiful sight to take in, only making him feel more bad about his partner's loss of eyesight.
"You're not going to lose me, you silly cat! At least not from a fall," she assured him, slipping her arm out from his grip.
Already having heard parts of the conversation she had with Nathalie, Adrien tried to mentally prepare himself for whatever Ladybug had to say.
"But I— need you to promise me something, just in case my development... kills me," the heroine turned toward him.
"It won't kill you, Ladybug," Chat Noir tried to reassure her, as well as himself .
"Chat... Let's be honest. I'm already so far into his mess. I bet the only reason Lady Luck was able to stop it was because she wasn't too evolved. Look at me, I've got wings, almost completely red hair, and I've practically gone blind," a sad smile forced its way into her face.
"You're not going to die! You're not!" He cried out, causing Ladybug's heart to sink at the hurt in his voice.
"Kitty... I don't have control over this kind of thing. I don't think Lady Luck knows what to do either. Look what it did to her partner. I just need you to promise me something," she rested her hand on his tensed shoulder.
His silence told her that he was listening, so she continued.
"One of the times I went to Master Fu's during our little two week patrol break, he told me why Hawkmoth wanted the miraculous and why he couldn't have it. He wants it to make a wish, and he definitely could if he got his hands on it."
"What do you think he'd use it for?" Chat Noir asked, his voice gaining more sturdiness.
"Hawkmoth keeps his motives secret," Ladybug replied.
"So why couldn't we make a wish? Not a selfish one, but a wise one, like stopping Hawkmoth or ending poverty?" The hero asked his partner.
Ladybug shifted in thought, trying to decide how she'd explain it. "You remember Robustus, right? The robot akuma that wanted to become a human? He wanted the miraculous for himself, so he could make that wish and give him humanity. I learned that in return, someone else's humanity would have been taken because there's a balance. Master Fu briefly explained that to me the last time I met with him."
"Oh, that makes sense. We have to keep our miraculous protected from Hawkmoth then. So in theory, if he wanted power from the wish, would someone else's power be taken? Like Mayor Bourgeois's, then we'd be in trouble," Chat Noir inquired curiously.
"That's right," Ladybug nodded, confirming his thoughts. Her mind wandered back to the original promise she was going to ask him to keep. "Anyways, I just have to ask you something. Based on what I've heard from Nathalie, if... I do disappear, you'll be left with my Miraculous and Tikki."
Chat Noir bit his lip, trying to choke back whatever emotional lump he felt coming. How could she be talking about dying like that? She was his partner, and he cared so much about her. He lost his own mother, Marinette, and now Ladybug was barely hanging onto her life. Ladybug was all he had left, and now she was expecting to disappear.
"Hawkmoth will probably try to take advantage of me gone. He might even try to convince you to give him the miraculous or try to akumatize you. The moment I disappear, please take care of my earrings and give them to-"
"I CAN'T REPLACE YOU, LADYBUG!" Chat Noir cried, causing Ladybug to blink in baffling silence. She shook her head and tried to continue.
"Chat, please. You'll need a partner. I can't leave you behind with no one! I care about you, and I can't disappear knowing you'll be alone!" She argued, her own eyes growing moist. She heard her voice squeak almost in a crack.
"YOU'RE ALL I HAVE! You- you can't disappear, Ladybug!!" Chat Noir's voice nearly broke.
Ladybug's heart fell into the pit of her stomach, and a tear ran down her mask. She bit down her trembling lower lip, and pulled her arms around her partner.
He was so scared of losing her, yet she had no idea how she could stop the development. Nathalie didn't seem to know either.
Ladybug sunk her face into Chat Noir's shoulder, and he held her tightly. She felt the trembles of his shoulders, almost as if he were trying to contain his sobs.
"You know... this is just in case," Ladybug whispered, "I just want you to be safe. Give my earrings to Lady Luck first. Whatever Hawkmoth says, don't listen to him. He's crazy."
She felt Chat Noir's head nod up and down slightly against her own head, as they held one another in a hug.
"You're a good partner, Chat Noir."
"You're the best, Ladybug."
* * *
"So you can't recall how Felix fixed your own development?" Master Fu asked Nathalie.
"I don't know how he did! The boy used to study the history of our miraculous in his free time. He just did something by himself, and I was somehow able to transform back again. He wasn't able to fix his own. It was like he forgot, so he couldn't even ask me to do it for him! Instead, he let the entire thing engulf him until he was nothing," Nathalie explained, sighing.
"Please save Ladybug! We can help you," Alya offered, pointing at Chloe as she walked back into the office.
"She's right. As tedious as it might seem to search for answers, it will prove more helpful than doing nothing," Fu replied.
"They're not wrong. As irritating as Ladybug could get, she's a really good friend and smart hero. We can help," Chloe added.
Nathalie looked around at all the support surrounding her, and for what seemed like the first time since Felix was alive, she felt hopeful.
"Let's get started then," she let a small smile fall over her face. She received smiles in return from her support, and tears of appreciation stung her eyes. Sniffling, she wiped them away.
Master Fu's eyes wandered to the books on his desk, then he asked, "Do you know where Felix used to live?"
Nathalie's blue eyes widened, then she let them fall to her feet. "Well... we were still in high school, so he lived with his parents. I'm not sure if they still live in the same location."
"Maybe we can find his notes or journals in his room?" Alya suggested.
"You know, we can ask Plagg where Felix placed notes on this subject if he had any," Master Fu suggested.
"You're right! First I'll check to see if Felix's parents still live in the same place, then we can search for Chat Noir," Nathalie agreed, beginning to take action.
"Great, we'll start looking for Chat Noir and we can meet back here after," Alya added, grabbing Chloe.
"I'll discuss matters with my assistant for the time being," Fu smiled, allowing the group to split out.
* * *
"You know that Chat Noir is with Ladybug, right?" Chloe told Alya as they continued to walk along the streets.
"Great, so where would the two hang out?" The brunette asked her.
"Probably in their hangout spot. That's going to take a while to get there," Chloe sighed, looking to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
Alya's eyes followed Chloe's visual trail to the two barely visible red and black dots sitting at the top. "Crap. You're right."
"Even the elevator won't take us to that point. If we climb, we fall," the blonde explained, causing Alya to brighten at a sudden idea. She looked to her with a sigh, realizing the brunette planned on doing something utterly ridiculous.
"Then how about we take the elevator, then climb. We won't fall if we climb carefully," Alya shot out the friendly finger guns excitedly.
"That sounds hard. Also incredibly ridiculous! How do you intend on holding your grip? No matter what I try to do, I'm probably going to end up being a blonde pancake splat across the ground of Paris," Chloe growled nervously.
"Just bee careful, then," Alya laughed, receiving a glare in response from her frenemy.
After some more argument, Chloe was finally somewhat persuaded to join Alya in her dangerous pursuit. They stepped into the elevator, with Chloe hoping for the best.
* * *
Nathalie stopped once the house came into view. This was the house that once protected and withheld the only boy she'd ever come to love.
Nothing was there to her anymore. If it didn't contain Felix, it didn't contain life. All it held was the painfully wonderful memories of the boy who knew how to make a shy girl smile and laugh freely. It would hurt to see the memorable place without him now, but she would have to get there if she wanted to save Ladybug.
Her blue eyes remained void of life, and she straightened her posture as she prepared to see the people who once cared for her partner, and were so kind to her whenever she'd come to Felix for homework help.
She forced herself to walk to the front door, numbing the pain her heart felt as more memories of Felix came crashing down on her. Nathalie raised her pale, shaking fist to the door, knocking more softly than she would've preferred.
She heard footsteps approach from behind the door, and she braced herself for another painful reminder of her partner, but instead, she was greeted with a stranger's face. Relief flooded through her, but it immediately turned to guilt.
"Who are you?" A brunette girl about Adrien's age asked, probably curious as to why there was a random nervous lady knocking.
"I'm Miss Sancouer, a friend of the Dior family. Do Mr. and Mrs. Dior still live in this residence?" She questioned.
"No, this is the Rossi family. I'm Lila. Come in," the green-eyed girl invited her in.
Nathalie politely accepted, mentally deciding what she could do. Keeping her head straight and her eyes traced on the ground, she decided not to observe her surroundings. She knew she'd become emotional if she even looked at a solid reminder of her partner.
"So... do you need their contact info? I'm pretty sure we met them before they moved out," Lila asked her, offering a seat on her couch.
"By any chance, do you know if they left any of their son's things behind?" Nathalie wondered, taking the seat.
"Um... I'm not sure. If you want, you could look into the attic. I do know that there are old things up there," Lila offered helpfully.
"That would be great. Would you mind if I took a look?" She asked, getting to her feet.
"Yeah! Go ahead," Lila nodded, standing and walking over to lead her toward the area. Her light brown hair swished back and forth as she walked through the now-cleaned hallways.
The woman let her gaze fall along the hallways, remembering the pictures that used to hang on the walls. They were now barren and void of Felix Dior.
Lila yanked on the string that hung at the end, stepping back as the door to the attic fell open, causing the attached ladder to unfold itself. Fixing the ladder to properly stand on the ground, the girl offered the woman a flashlight and allowed her to take a look.
"So... you were close with the family that lived here?" Lila asked, politely trying to make conversation with her guest as she followed her into the attic.
Nathalie paused for a moment, then allowed herself to respond, "Yes, actually I was romantically involved with their son."
Lila paled, causing Nathalie to raise an eyebrow. "Oh... Felix? I... um heard about him!" She smiled nervously, clutching at the small pigtails she made at the ends of her hair.
"You heard about his... sudden disappearance?" Nathalie went back to facing the dust-covered objects in the attic.
"The Diors seemed heartbroken when they began moving things from his room. I'm so sorry about his... passing," Lila offered a gentle hand to her shoulder.
The irritating lump in her throat came back, and Nathalie tried to blink the threatening tears away. Comfort always made her weak, and she hated it. "Yeah, me too," she replied coldly.
Lila awkwardly stood to the side as Nathalie began to look through the Dior family's old things. She found old lamps, vases, even furniture. Felix's old toys were also put in a simple chest, but Nathalie didn't bother to search through it.
"Is there anything in particular you're searching for? Something they borrowed and never returned?" Lila asked, finally speaking after mentally wondering whether or not she'd ask to break the awkward silence.
"Something like that. Are there books here?" Nathalie asked, turning to look at her.
"Yeah, on that shelf over there," Lila pointed to the farthest corner to the right. Nathalie followed her direction and found the shelf.
After digging through the books and picking up all of them, she only saw that literature sat on the shelf. It had taken at least half an hour to look through all of them.
Unfortunately, she didn't find any journals or notes from Felix. Some old schoolwork sat in a box, but none of it had contained anything related to the miraculous.
By midnight, Nathalie had given up searching through the attic, apologizing profusely to Lila for have taken so long.
Lila replied with a sleepy smile, yawning before speaking, "It's okay... I'm sorry you didn't find what... you were looking for." The girl sat up against the wall, barely able to keep her eyes open.
"Where are your parents by the way?" Nathalie asked, concerned.
"Out on a business trip," she mumbled sleepily.
"Well, I'll show myself out. Goodnight, and thank you for letting me search. I didn't think it would take so long, I'm sorry again."
Now she'd have to find another way to help Ladybug.