Two weeks ago…

Marinette

For the first time since she'd acquired her Ladybug powers, Marinette did not want to cast Miraculous Cleanse.

Brigitte Fernandes had brought her the polka-dotted leg brace that had been removed from Adrien's ankle; surgery was over, a new cast was in place, and he didn't need this one any more. Mari could transform, toss it in the air, and put the world back together.

It would heal her arm, which throbbed dully in her lap. It would soothe her dad's back. It would repair the fallen building on the Rue de Fictional, somewhere out there, Queen Bee and Brush Kit would be magically cured of their bumps from the fight.

But Adrien would still be half-dead in Intensive Care. Felix Agreste would still be a broken man, recounting the ways he had hurt his brother with every breath. And Gabriel Agreste would still be the man behind Hawkmoth, who had torn his own family apart.

Nothing could fix that. Even if Ladybug's power could have fixed Adrien's injuries-and dammit, how could Mari never have realized- -she couldn't take away the deep-rooted pain that the Agreste family would have to face.

So she sat in her bed, staring blankly at the Lucky Charm in her lap. Morphine and blood loss were dulling her thoughts; the heart monitor beside her caught her up in a sluggish rhythm. She knew she had to transform and cast Miraculous Cleanse, and she intended to do so. But every fiber of her being resisted. Even when her vision blurred and she couldn't recall what she'd been thinking about, she knew that she didn't want to do this.

Stubbornly, like a child, she didn't want to. If it couldn't help Adrien, she didn't want to.

One large tear, and then another, plopped down on the plastic of the leg brace. Mari heard herself sob and felt her Maman's hand rubbing circles in her back.

Marinette had been so strong-Ladybug had been strong. She had seen so much today and kept her composure because she'd had to. But now, she was breaking. She couldn't keep it together any more. She was tired, and so, so sad.

She looked up at Papa, where he was seated awkwardly on the bed beside her in the ward. His back was in a brace, and the doctors had told him to take it easy for a few weeks.

The least she could do was relieve his pain.

She called Tikki out to transform her.

It was time.

Tom

Tom Dupain stared down at his knuckles as the bruises faded away. His back was finally free of that constant ache, thanks to the magic of Miraculous Cleanse, but those bruised knuckles were something he was going to miss.

They had meant justice.

Not nearly all of the justice sorely needed here, but some tiny sliver of it.

Tom had never liked violence. He was a big man, always had been, but his Maman had told him to use his size to protect, so that was what he did. When he was in grade school, he acted as an immovable wall between his friends and bullies-instead of knocking the bullies down, which he was quite capable of. He used his broad knuckles to give his Maman a back massage after a long day at work. He used his strength to make bread, kneading dough to perfection. When Mari was a baby and needed constant rocking at three AM, his unmatched endurance saved Sabine some sleep.

Gentle things… it had always been gentle things that Tom used his strength for. Never once in his life had he struck another person.

But back there, in that old building, watching Gabriel Agreste trample over his own son in the pursuit of power-knowing, already, how poorly Adrien was treated in his daily life-Tom had decided enough was enough.

He still didn't like violence, didn't think it was the answer.

But Adrien was a good kid. A rare kind of pure and generous that doesn't come along often, who should be treasured. The way that Tom and Sabine treasured Mari, their own little light. Far from treasuring him, Gabriel had wronged his child in every way.

So, punching Gabriel Agreste? Knocking him flat on the floor and making him bleed? That… that was not violence.

It was mercy.

Present ...

Nino and Alya filed into the room in a burst of sound, generating a surprising amount of commotion for just two people. They were deep in their usual banter, but came to a stuttering hush as they crossed the threshold.

"Aww," Alya sighed, taking in the heartwarming picture before her.

Marinette sat at Adrien's bedside, gently wiping a cloth down his arm. He smiled contentedly under her ministrations, letting out the occasional purr.

"You guys look like an old married couple!" Alya glowed.

Marinette blushed furiously, but, unlike she might have done months ago, she didn't flail and throw the cloth away. No, she managed to contain herself to a goofy smile.

Adrien reached up and pulled the oxygen mask away from his face. "She brushed my hair, and cleaned my ears, and clipped my nails-"

"Dude!" Nino broke in, nudging his friend. "You're supposed to be at least a little embarrassed about that."

Adrien shrugged. "I would do the same for her," he glowed.

"Wow," Alya gasped, pulling out her phone to take a photo or two. "Scratch the old married couple thing, these guys are like newlyweds."

Both Adrien and Marinette burst into bright red blushes, and Marinette finally lost control, rubbing the cloth back and forth with a vengeance.

"Marinette," Adrien whimpered, "You're cleaning my bed sheets…."

"What?!" the girl gasped, finally noticing what she was doing. "Eh-heh, sorry…." She tossed the cloth over her shoulder. "Anyways, what's new with you guys?"

Alya's features took on a mischievous twist, and she elbowed Nino. "Come on, show them what's in the bag!"

Nino looked terribly guilty, but he obliged, pulling what seemed to be a giant, formless cotton ball from his backpack. "She-uh, she really didn't enjoy the trip over here, but I thought it would be worth it."

Before he could get out another sentence, Adrien was lurching forward, arms outstretched and mindless of the various important wires he nearly tugged out of place.

"Petite Macaron!" he exclaimed, before sinking back with a wince. "Ow…."

"Hey, man, it's okay, I'll bring her to you," Nino soothed, as Marinette helped Adrien lie back down. They deposited the kitten on his chest and she made her way closer to his face, purring and flicking her tail in content.

"I didn't know if she would remember me," he admitted, nuzzling her to his cheek. She ran her rough tongue over the tip of his nose.

"Nah, man, she remembers you. She pretty much attacks everyone who comes near her. This is the first time I've seen her so happy in weeks."

At that, Adrien looked like he might cry, so Nino quickly whipped out his next surprise.

"And this!" he proclaimed, holding up the black puff he'd just produced from the depths of his bag. "I brought Adrien just in case Macaron got lonely."

Nino set the kitten down on the bed and it immediately flopped over and began playing with its tail.

"You named your cat Adrien?!" Marinette squeaked. She looked halfway between scandalized and love-struck.

"Yeah, girl, where have you been?" Alya chuckled.

And immediately, all four friends sobered. Because Marinette had been here, with Adrien, and it had been hell.

After she and her father had been discharged, Mari had been coming to visit Adrien every day after school, often accompanied by Nino and Alya. Nino had taken it upon himself to look after Petite Macaron, and Alya had been helping Marinette keep up with her school work, so they hadn't been able to be around as much. But Marinette had spent the most time with Adrien besides Felix and Brigitte, and she had been around to see how bad things had been.

How bad things still were.

Alya knew, because Marinette would call her late at night, sobbing. And Nino knew because Alya would be devastated after those phone calls, and she would go to him for comfort, telling him how much she wished things weren't the way they were, how much she wished that this could all just be over.

Even now, they could all see it. They knew how much of an act Adrien was putting up. They had all seen how high of a dosage of painkillers he was on, the way he still couldn't quite manage to sit up.

And that was only the surface. Adrien had been through deep psychological trauma. His life had been turned on end, his family torn apart.

And yet, he had never spoken about it. He remembered, they knew, because the doctors had already thoroughly evaluated him for amnesia. He simply avoided the issue.

He hadn't even asked about his father.

Perhaps once, deep in the cover of nighttime, he had asked Felix. Maybe he already knew that Gabriel Agreste was currently receiving treatment in the psychiatric ward. But he never brought it up.

He would stare out the window sometimes, haunted and blank. But besides that, the three friends had seen no evidence of Adrien's inner pain.

That is, no evidence that he showed intentionally. Unintentionally, that was another matter. During his sleep, he was plagued by nightmares, ones that he would still be trapped in upon waking. And, before today, his waking hours were brief, disoriented clips. It was the kind of thing that had run Felix haggard, reduced him to a sleepless, lurking presence who often forgot to eat-and more than often, didn't have an appetite.

But today, today was better. Adrien was awake and alert for a record time, going on two hours. Exhaustion was showing in the planes of his face, but he was smiling, enjoying the time with his friends, thrilled by the surprise of the kittens.

At this point, that was all they could ask for.

"By the way, where is Felix?" Alya asked. "I've seen that floor lamp walk out of here more times than he has."

The joke fell flat, because Felix really hadn't left Adrien's side in the past two weeks. Brigitte had barely managed to get him to step away for a shower and shave, and eating… eating was a work in progress.

Marinette sighed. "He left earlier, saying he was going to get coffee. I wonder if he fell asleep along the way."

Seeing Adrien's eyes widen in alarm, Alya waved a dismissive hand. "That's something you would do, Mari. Felix is probably just getting some fresh air. And, speaking of fresh air," She winked at Adrien. "The nurses said you'll be clear to go on walks in a couple days."

"Really?" Mari squealed.

But Adrien only squirmed uncomfortably, afraid to state the obvious.

"It's okay," Alya reassured him. "We'll get you set up with a wheelchair."

"Yeah," Nino piped in, "Broken legs suck. We've got you covered, man."

Adrien bit his lip, looking like he might cry for the second time that day. And he might have, if Adrien the cat hadn't chosen that moment to tumble towards the boy's face and slap him repeatedly, soft paw pads trying to get a reaction.

Petite Macaron was not happy with this assault on her master, and she hissed at her brother. Adrien-the-cat pounced, and the kittens' squabble devolved into frenzied laps around and under the bed, pausing only to scratch at the sheets or spring spastically into the air. Adrien watched them and burst into uncontrollable laughter.

This was the scene that Felix walked in upon.

The detective's coffee froze mid-sip, and his eyebrows lowered exponentially.

Nino and Alya shrunk back, both terrified of his wrath and shocked by his appearance. They had just seen him a few days ago, but in that short time, he seemed to have grown even thinner, his clothes and hair haphazard, and dark circles under his eyes. He looked about ready to fall over from exhaustion. Nino might have urged the guy to sit down if he hadn't known the depth of Felix's pride.

And, well, right now? It was not the best time to do anything except kowtow at Felix's feet and beg for mercy.

However, any frustration Felix might have had at the friends for letting the rambunctious kittens invade his brother's room was dashed away when Felix saw Adrien's smile. The boy had barely noticed Felix's entrance, continuing to play with the tousling felines.

"Monsieur Detective!" Mari gasped. "I mean, Fe-Felix! We didn't mean to cause any trouble, I promise I'll clean up after them, it's just the k-kittens make Adrien really happy and Petite Macaron missed him so much!"

Nino held up his hands in surrender. "Totally on me, Dude, Sir. I was the one who brought them here. In my bag."

"Yeah, and I made him do it," Alya added.

"Fe, it's fine," Adrien broke in. One of the kittens was chewing on his hand while the other batted dangerously at his IV. "They can stay, right?"

Felix set down his coffee and frowned. After a few seconds of tense silence, he shrugged. Without a word, he retreated to the en suite couch.

The four friends cheered and launched back into their previous conversation. Alya and Nino argued about whether the latter should test out some skateboarding moves on Adrien's wheelchair; Marinette loudly protested, while Adrien tried his best to keep up and laugh along. He was getting tired.

He was tired, but still, he had noticed: Felix had glanced, ever silent, at Adrien's oxygen mask. And, he hadn't had to say anything. Adrien knew Felix didn't like that he had to wear it, so he hated to remind Adrien to put it back on. Still, he wished that Adrien would stop taking it off every chance he got. It may be cumbersome, and slightly embarrassing, but it helped a lot more than Adrien liked to admit.

Like now.

Adrien's chuckles abruptly shifted to coughs and gasps, cutting off his friends' banter. Alya scooped up the kittens to get them out of the way, while Marinette helped him turn onto his side. Nino rubbed his back and helped him fit the mask back over his nose and mouth, and, gradually, Adrien was able to breathe with ease.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, barely audible. "I'm sorry, guys, sorry, Fe…."

The boy caught sight of his brother, who stood at the foot of his bed, tense and shaking, nearly as white as the walls around them. Felix's fists clenched and unclenched at his sides, and his eyes had a faraway look, as if stuck in some awful memory. It wasn't hard to guess just which memory that was.

Before anyone could say anything to stop him, the detective turned on his heel and left the room.

Felix

Felix didn't get very far down the hallway before he had to stop, press his back against the wall, and just focus on breathing.

Just now was not… it was not okay. Sure, it had resolved itself quickly, but it happened too often, and Felix was not sure how much more he could take.

From time to time, Adrien would pause in the middle of a conversation, and his breath would catch, and helplessness would flash over his eyes. But then, in the next moment, he'd be back to normal, breathing and talking and smiling.

The doctor said it was more of a psychological after-effect than anything physical, and that with time, it would pass.

But Felix knew better. Things didn't pass. They haunted, and haunted and haunted-

Maybe it was Felix's photographic memory. That twisted ability of his brain to deliver to him a precise rendering of anything he had so much as glanced at-and it seemed to favor the things he never wanted to see again.

So when Adrien would gasp or choke-or, sometimes, even when he so much as huffed in laughter-Felix would relive that nightmare from the building on the Rue de Fictional. He would see Gabriel Agreste killing his little brother, over and over. He would see Adrien like a corpse, and-

Well, perhaps Adrien would recover from his "glitches", as Nino had dubbed the episodes. But Felix would be haunted for the rest of his days.

"Felix," Brigitte's voice cut through his angst.

It was odd. Her voice was gentle-it always was-but there was a sharpness to it that had him snapping to attention. Her features matched the urgency in her voice, pale and pinched.

"There's something you should see," she said, cautiously, grimly.

Felix followed her to a nearby break room. Patients and nurses alike gathered around the television, murmuring about the news program that played across the screen.

And when Felix saw it, he froze in his tracks. His heart sank to his feet, and his vision tunneled precariously. Because-

Because that woman, who was speaking to the anchor, on that screen-

That woman, who was alive and well, smiling and healthy, there in Paris at the broadcast station-

That was Madeleine Agreste.

A/N: Hi again *5 months later* o_o

Thank you to everyone who has been waiting for this chapter, you're the reason I write ^_^

Chapter title taken from Regina Spektor's "One More Time With Feeling"

For anyone wondering where Plagg was during that whole kitten fluff scene, he was… taking a nap in a pile of cheese in a corner somewhere? (sorry Plagg, you'll be in the next chapter).

And also, Felix doesn't talk in this chapter? Like, at all?