"I told you Nathalie, I didn't know they were there." Gabriel was being defensive, but there was a pleading in his voice too.

"That's the point though, isn't it? You never know what's going on anymore. I'm sick and tired of picking up your broken pieces Gabriel. You could have lost Adrien today." She was trying to keep the tears at bay, but her voice was shaking as the words came out. "You're losing control of these akumas, but you just don't know when to quit do you?"

"But the Ladybug cure fixes everything. Adrien would never be permanently hurt." Nathalie's mouth flew open with a look of disgust on her face.

"Are you even listening to yourself Gabriel? If you take Ladybugs earrings then there is no cure." She slammed her hand on the desk causing Gabriel to jump in his seat. "My sentimonster put Adrien in danger and that was enough for me to walk away, but you...your Akuma caused a physical injury and you make excuses."

There was a moment of silence. Gabriel knew he had come to a crossroads and this was the time to make a decision, but he didn't know how to make it. On the one hand there was Emilie, but three years of akumas and Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous were more out of reach than ever. He was losing control, not just of the akumas, but of the company and even his son. This brought him to point two, Adrien and Marinette. All he said was that he wanted to bring Adrien's mother back so they could be happy again, but what if it was too late for that. Adrien had found someone else to fill the void his mother had left in his heart. Was it possible for Gabriel Agreste to do the same?

"I hear what you're saying Nathalie, but I..."

"No Gabriel!" She snapped at him. "There are no more excuses you can give, not anymore. Destroy yourself if you want, but I won't let you drag Adrien down with you, I'll..." Nathalie was interrupted by the opening of the office door and the surprise entry of Felix into the room.

"What are you doing here Felix?" Gabriel snapped at him. "This is a private conversation and..."

"Well if it's so private, then perhaps you should keep your voices down, unless you want Adrien to overhear what you are saying." Felix's heart was racing at a dozen miles an hour, but he was keeping his exterior calm and aloof.

"What would you know about it?" Gabriel narrowed his eyes at his nephew, trying to gauge where this was going.

"More than you think Uncle Gabriel, or should I call you Uncle Hawk Moth." There was a curl in Felix's lips as he saw the panic flash across Gabriel's face. The elder Agreste shot a look over at Nathalie, who was taken aback by the revelation, but not entirely surprised.

"It was only a matter of time before someone found out Gabriel." She offered quietly, a fact that did not make Gabriel feel any better about it. Although Adrien finding out would have been significantly worse. He started playing nervously with the ring on his finger

"Alright Felix, you have my attention. What is that you want?"

Felix walked towards Gabriel's desk, taking the seat facing him. Crossing his legs he folded his fingers in front of him keeping a steady gaze at his Uncle. Gabriel shifted in his seat, but his eyes never moved from his nephews.

"Well there are two ways this could go." The younger man began. "Option one we could all take a trip to the police station and explain everything there..."

"You wouldn't!" Gabriel stood up leaning across the desk. "You would destroy everything. The company, the family name...you...you would leave Adrien with nothing." Felix showed no emotion at Gabriel's outburst, instead focusing his attention on papers strewn across Gabriel's desk.

"Judging by those figures, you seem to be going a good job of destroying the company yourself. Am I right Nathalie?" He looked over at the assistant who averted her eyes away. "I thought so."

"But Adrien..." Gabriel was exasperated, but Felix was not going to let Him lead the conversation.

"Adrien would be just fine." Felix said with a flippant air Chloe would have been proud of. "He would have freedom, his girl, her family and his friends to support him." Felix carefully watched Gabriel for a reaction. The man was notorious for his poker face, but Felix could see the facade starting to crumble. He gained even more confidence when he could see Nathalie was agreeing with him. "I could tear your whole world down around you, and leave you with what you most fear, being alone." Gabriel slunk back into his seat. Felix leaned across the table looking his Uncle dead in the eyes. "Let's face it Gabriel, you need Adrien a lot more than he needs you."

Gabriel turned his head away from Felix, rubbing his eyes under his glasses. He felt cornered and wasn't sure how to get out of it. "You said there were two ways this could go. What's the second option?"

"A New Year resolution of sorts, or a wish even if you like." Gabriel glared at him. "Just three little wishes Uncle Gabe, and I'm out of your hair."

"What do I look like a goddamn genie!" He snarled, but Nathalie stepped in placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I would listen to what he has to say if I were you." She was trying to placidate him, but he heard the warning in her tone. It was clever of Felix to do this in front of Nathalie. On his own, Gabriel may have challenged him, but he couldn't fight both of them. He nodded to Nathalie before turning back to his nephew.

"Alright Felix, continue." Felix stood up and walked over the portrait of his Aunt Emilie on the wall, his hands behind his back. He had to work this carefully to get what he ultimately wanted.

"Firstly, you put Marinette into the company. Lord knows you need help. I've seen some of her work, it could turn your business around." He looked over at Nathalie who was nodding in agreement. They didn't know that Felix already knew about the internship Gabriel was giving Marinette, so he also knew this would be something Gabriel would easily agree to. "If you do this and I won't go to the police."

"Consider it done Felix." Gabriel was feeling pleased with himself, which was exactly how Felix wanted him. "What is your next wish?"

Felix walked back over to the desk, folding his arms in front of Gabriel and Nathalie. "Let Adrien off the leash." Gabriel wasn't expecting that, his newly gained smile dropping rapidly.

"But he's the face of the company, I can't afford for him not to be part of the brand." Felix shook his head.

"You don't get it do you? He's always going to be part of the brand while ever Marinette is there but you keep alienating him the way you have been and they will both walk. I think you already know that though." Nathalie looked between both the men. She knew this was a sticking point with Gabriel. "Let him study at the university, even if it's part time, and you might be surprised. If you do this I won't tell Adrien anything about you being Hawk Moth."

"That's one hell of a secret to keep Felix. What assurance do I have you will keep your word?"

"You don't." He said bluntly. "But what choice do you have." Gabriel couldn't disagree that he had his back to the wall. It then dawned on him that Felix had yet to ask for anything for himself.

"Fine, I'll...let him go." At this point Gabriel felt there wasn't much else to lose. "So, what is this last wish?" Felix stepped forward closer to Gabriel and held out his hand.

"I'll take the other ring, if you please." Gabriel stood up abruptly. He looked down at Felix before walking over to Emilie's portrait.

"I'll give you the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous instead." Even Nathalie was shocked Gabriel would make such an offer, but Felix shook his head.

"I don't want your damn Miraculous." Felix scoffed. "Do what you want with them, continue making your futile akumas if you want, I really don't care. I want my mother's family ring."

"Or what?" Gabriel challenged.

"I won't ask what happened to Aunt Emilie." The colour drained from Gabriel's face.

"How did you find out about it?" His voice was husky and his mouth suddenly dry.

"Same way I found out about you. I came to speak to you about something I found out about Adrien and Marinette and I saw you press the hidden buttons in the painting. So I followed and saw everything."

Gabriel stumbles his way back to his seat. Nathalie crouched down beside his with her hand on his arm. "Gabriel, it's over. Give him what he wants." She urged.

"Why Felix?" He asked. "You could have just gone to the police, why didn't you?"

Felix looked at his Uncle. How far had the great and mighty Gabriel Agreste fallen? He was now just a shell of a man that Felix once knew.

"Adrien gave me a second chance, and allowed me back into his life. I repaired my friendship with Chloe, I found joy in a small bakery with kind people and I gained the trust of those I admire and care about. Yes Adrien would be fine in the long run, but in the end I know he still wants his father. It was only fair to give that same chance to you. I owe Adrien that much for all he has done for me." Gabriel shook his head.

"You know what this ring means to me, if you're such a good person now how could you ask..."

"I never said I was a good person, Uncle." Felix interrupted. "This is just a business transaction - my silence for the ring. What happens after that is up to you."

Gabriel looked down at the ring on his finger. He was already at a crossroads, but now he was being forced onto a decision. He did not like his hand being forced, but the choice in the end was still the same. He took the ring off his finger and held it in his hand.

"I have your word now. You won't tell Adrien anything." Felix nodded in reply as Gabriel held the ring out to him. The younger man took the ring and after admiring it for a moment, slipped it into his pocket.

"You keep your word and I'll keep mine." He said, offering his hand out to his Uncle to shake. Gabriel took his hand and returned the firm grip. In a way, taking the ring off was almost freeing, like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He wasn't sure how he was going to approach the issue of Emilie, but he had time to sort that out.

"You know Felix, you seem to have quite a flare for business and negotiation. If you're ever interested in working at Gabriel, just let me know."

"I might just do that." Felix smiled. As he went to leave the room his Uncle suddenly called him back. "Wait. You said there was something you were going to tell me that day you found out about me." Felix stopped and turned around, an amused smile on his face. "What?" Gabriel said in confusion. He felt like Adrien had been holding out on him about something, but what was so funny about it?

"Oh, yeah, that." Felix chuckled. " He...ah...he wants to marry Marinette." Nathalie practically burst out laughing as Gabriel just stared at him.

"Oh," was all Gabriel could get out as Felix left the room, still chuckling to himself.

Walking down the hallway he saw Marinette was just leaving, waving at her as she headed out the door. Adrien raced back up the stairs. "Everything okay Felix?"

"Yeah, your father was just talking to me about the business if I was interested in joining you guys someday." Adrien beamed and patted his cousin on the arm.

"That would be amazing." He said before the two boys walked to Adrien's room for some serious gaming time.

*****

That night, Felix was up late reading when he heard a knock on his bedroom door. Assuming it was Adrien he scrambled over in his pajamas only to find Nathalie there.

"I'm sorry Felix, but can I have a word." Felix stepped back and let her in, offering her a seat while he sat on the end of the bed. Nathalie put her hand in her nightgown pocket and pulled out something in her hand.

"Gabriel asked me to bury these somewhere, but I'm not sure he was thinking too clearly when he said that." She half chucked to herself. "Let's just say there isn't a whole lot of that Louis XIV cognac left." Felix looked at her bemused until she opened her hand.

"Is that...?" In her hand was the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous. "But I don't want them!" He said, shifting slightly away from her. Nathalie took his hand and laid them in it.

"Give them to Ladybug and Chat Noir. They will know what to do." Felix stared with wide eyes.

"But I don't know who they are. How am I going to get these to them?" Nathalie gave him a soft smile, patting his knee with her hand.

"You're a clever boy Felix. If anyone can find a way, I'm sure you can." Nathalie got up to leave him and head out the door.

"Nathalie." Felix called to her. "You deserve better than him you know." Nathalie smiled sadly.

"Maybe." She said, her eyes glistening. "But he wasn't always this way you know. He was happier, funnier and hopeful for the future." She smiled to herself again, this time a little warmer. "Someday it will be like that again, I know it will." 

"But what are you going to tell him about this?" He asked, holding the miraculous up in his palm. Nathalie laughed out loud, a genuine laugh that Felix had never heard from her before.

"Gabriel was always a hopeless drunk. I'll just tell him he threw them out the window. He won't remember anyway. Besides..." she bent her head forward to look over her glasses at him. "Who's to say a couple of superheroes just didn't happen to walk by."

Felix spent the next few hours tossing and turning trying to figure out what he was going to do. He couldn't go to Adrien or Marinette directly, they would wonder how he got them. No, he was going to need help.

Getting out of bed he quietly made his way to Adrien's room. Sneaking in, he found the little black Kwami sleeping next to Adrien on a pillow.

"Plagg." He whispered with a gentle poke. Plagg instantly sat up.

"Who...what...wa?"

"Shhhh." The boy said before he signaled for the Kwami to follow him. Plagg looked at Felix with a curious glance before following him to his room. Felix quickly shut the door letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Alright kid-o you got me up, what's this about?" Felix held out a small bag to the Kwami to look inside. Plagg did so before gasping in amazement.

"But how did you..."

"Nathalie gave them to me to give back to Ladybug and Chat Noir, but that could be problematic." Felix then explained everything that had happened to Plagg. He told him how he found out about Hawk Moth, the agreement they had made and the importance of secrecy. Honestly it felt good to him to get the whole story off his chest, even if it was to a strange floating cat.

"I get it, this needs to be an anonymous drop off then." Plagg said, Felix nodding in agreement. "So what's in it for me?" Felix's eyes widened. He needed Plagg to do this tonight and get these Miraculous out of Gabriel's reach.

"Look, tell you what. When I get back to London I will find a wheel of the biggest, most stinkiest cheese I can find and send it to Adrien for you, deal" Plagg's eyes lit up and a sly smile was on his face.

"Alright, leave it to me. Tikki and I will fix it to keep you and them out of this. Are you sure though Felix you haven't just made a deal with the devil?" Felix shook his head.

"I think there is a chance for everyone here Plagg. Gabriel keeps his business and his family relationships, Nathalie might stand a chance, although I don't know what she sees in him. Adrien gets freedom and Marinette, who gets her big break and me..." He held up the ring that he had done all this for. "I get to give my mum the one thing she wanted most."  

"What about you Felix, what do you get?" Plagg probed.

"Satisfaction I guess." He said with a smirk. "After all, I hold all the cards right?" Plagg chucked with a slightly devilish air.

"I think deep down you're one of the good ones Felix." He said, taking the bag.

"Yeah, well, don't let that get out - it might ruin my reputation." Felix chuckled as he patted the Kwami on the head and sent him in his way.