Hello, lovely readers! Welcome to "Could You Please Repeat That?". This is going to be a quick two-part fic. I was inspired by rykerrrrr 's Tumblr post.

I am still working on my other WIPs, but this was too good not to write.

I hope you enjoy!

Comments are always appreciated. They fuel my need to keep writing about these wonderful, lovesick dorks.

I cross-post on AO3 and on Tumblr.

Tumblr: gryffindorcls (I will be posting my fics to the "Princess In Training" blog. Also, come talk to me over there! I would love to discuss my stories and the Miraculous fandom with y'all!)

AO3: clslovegood47

I own nothing but the plot.

Marinette straightened her skirt before knocking on the doors that led to her boss' office. Even though she had been working as a designer at Gabriel for three years, there was still something about Mr. Agreste that made her feel uneasy. Nonetheless, she took a deep breath, confidently rapped her knuckles against the wooden door, and waited to be summoned.

"You may enter," a firm voice called from the other side.

She pushed open the door and walked into the room. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Ah, yes. Good morning, Marinette. Please...come in and take a seat."

She quickly closed the door and made her way to one of the chairs that were situated in front of Gabriel's desk. Once seated, Marinette looked up at her boss with expectant eyes.

"First, I would like to offer congratulations on your engagement to my son. I am looking forward to having someone as talented as you join the family," he stated plainly.

A smile spread across her face as she toyed with the ring on her left hand. "Thank you. Adrien and I are very excited."

"I assume the two of you have already begun making arrangements."

"Yes, sir. We've started looking at venues, caterers, and themes."

"And what about your dress?"

"I wanted to make it myself."

Gabriel nodded in approval. "Good. I expect nothing less from my top designer. Let me know how I can be of assistance when you have the design ready. Feel free to schedule an appointment to come and talk to me anytime."

"Thank you, sir," she responded eagerly, "I really appreciate the offer."

"Marinette, there is no need to keep calling me 'sir'. Feel free to call me Gabriel. After all, you are my future daughter-in-law."

"Okay, sir...I mean...Gabriel."

He leaned back in his chair and pressed his fingers together. "I would like to tell you right now that I trust you, Marinette."

She swallowed uncomfortably. "Uhm...thank you. I trust you, too?"

"Good. Now that I'm getting older, it's time that I start thinking about my legacy. Adrien is already the heir to my fortune, but I would like you to be a part of it, as well."

"I...uh...really enjoy designing for your company, and I would love to keep doing that."

"Oh, you will. Trust me. You are incredibly talented, and I intend for you to run Gabriel alongside my son one day. However, my legacy runs deeper than this company, and it's about time that I bring some fresh faces into the fold. Nathalie has been helping me with it for years. She is very loyal to the cause, but she and I will not be around forever. I'm hoping to pass on the torch to you and Adrien."

"Okay. What is it exactly? Are we talking about humanitarian efforts overseas or philanthropy?"

Gabriel turned his head to the side and paused a moment before continuing. "Not exactly. It does, however, have a big impact on society."

Marinette straightened in her seat. "Well, I'm excited to learn about it."

"It's difficult to explain. It will be easier to show you." He got up from his chair and stood in front of the portrait of his wife. He held out his hand and beckoned her to join him. "Come here, my dear."

She quickly moved next to him. He placed a hand on her shoulder and looked up at the painting.

"Emilie was so full of life," he remarked with sadness in his voice, "Her emotions ran deep, and her love for others made her a light in the darkness. However, her curiosity of the world around her is what made her exceptional. She was never afraid to try something new or take a risk."

"Adrien is a lot like that," Marinette responded with a whisper.

"I see so much of her in my son, and I see a lot of myself in you. Marinette you are talented and driven. That's why you and Adrien will be the perfect pair to take over."

"I still don't completely understand. What is it that you want us to do?"

Gabriel used both his hands to press in several hidden buttons on his wife's portrait. Two openings in the floor appeared and a platform began to lower Marinette into the ground. Unsure of what to make of the situation, she did her best not to panic.

Before she had the chance to become uncomfortable in the confined space, the ride ended and she was gently set down in the middle of a spacious room. She found herself at the end of a long metal walkway that was surrounded by dozens of trees.

"You have a park under your house?" Marinette questioned tentatively, "Are you involved in environmental conservation?"

Gabriel looked at her and shook his head. "This is more of a lair than a park, and the only conservation I'm interested in is that of this family. Walk with me."

He guided her down the raised path and stopped in front of a glass chamber. Marinette's heart sank when she looked at its contents. She could feel the tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"This can't be happening," she thought to herself.

"Gabriel," her voice sounded strained, "is that who I think it is?"

He reached out his hand and allowed his fingers to lightly graze the glass covering. "She's been like this for years. Before Adrien was born, she and I traveled around the world so I could find inspiration for my designs. On one of our trips, we made a surprising discovery in the ruins of an old, abandoned temple. That's when we learned that there were forces in this world greater than any of us could have ever imagined. Magic is real, and we had access to it. We didn't know what we were doing. We were like children playing with fire. After we had our son, I stopped, but she continued. One day, there was an accident, and over the course of a year, Emilie slowly fell into this state. We knew it was coming, and we tried to hide it from Adrien. However, I made a promise to her that I would bring her back."

"Does Adrien know about this?"

"No. But I'm not only doing this for her...I'm doing it for him, as well. For all of us."

As he spoke, a white butterfly landed on the glass covering Emilie Agreste. The familiarity of the insect struck the core of her being.

Marinette feared the response to her next question. She had a sinking feeling that she already knew the answer. "You said that the two of you were using magic. What exactly were you doing?"

"Nooroo," he called into the void, "Come out and say hello."

A small purple Kwami zipped into view and floated in front of Gabriel. Panic exploded inside Marinette's brain, and she clutched her crossbody purse against her side. She could feel Tikki thump against the inside of the bag.

The tiny being lowered his head in subservience. "Yes, master?"

"Marinette, this is Nooroo. He is a Kwami. No doubt you have heard of something called a Miraculous before. He is a non-corporeal being that can interact with the human world when a holder is wearing the Miraculous he is attached to. When the right words are spoken, the Kwami can give you powers."

She closed her eyes and tried to remain calm. Marinette took a deep breath found her confidence.

"Pretend you're acting in a play," she told herself mentally, "You can freak out later."

She looked at him and blinked innocently. "You mean, these Kwamis are how people like Ladybug and Chat Noir become heroes? Does that mean you're one of Paris' heroes, as well?"

He put his hand on her shoulder, and she did her best not to shake it off. "Thinking that the world is nothing more than a dichotomy between heroes and villains is juvenile. Life is more complicated than that, and it is something that the so-called 'heroes of Paris' have always failed to see. They don't understand that sometimes sacrifices must be made for the greater good."

"Well, if that's the case...what does that make you?"

"Marinette, I am Hawkmoth."

"Oh," she said softly, "Wow. Uhm...can I ask why?"

Gabriel turned towards Emilie. "My wife was once the holder of the Peacock Miraculous. It was damaged, and it made her sick. I have come to learn that if I combine the powers of Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculouses, then I will have the chance to make one wish."

Marinette chose her next words carefully. "But what about all those people in Paris who have been hurt? If you succeed, then Ladybug won't be able to make everything okay again."

"I understand your concern. Nathalie had the same thoughts when she first started working with me on this project. My wish is not simply to bring Emilie back. If I did that, then the universe would balance itself out by putting someone else in a coma, and there's a chance that it would be Adrien. I could never endanger him like that. No, I plan to turn back time and ensure that this never happens at all. I will have never been Hawkmoth, and Adrien would still have his mother."

"But...then everything would be different. How can you know that I would still be with Adrien in that reality? I can't lose him."

My dear, there is nothing to worry about. Part of my wish will be to still remember this reality. I can guarantee to you that I will make sure that Adrien finds you. If there is one thing that I have learned in all of this is that love cannot be erased."

Marinette saw the sincerity in his eyes. He truly did not see the error of his ways, and this was more terrifying than any of the Akumas he'd created over the past seven years. At this moment, she knew she had to get back to Adrien immediately.

She nodded and smiled. "Gabriel, that's incredible. You seem to have everything figured out. So, what do you need me and Adrien for?"

Gabriel still kept his gaze locked on his wife. "Nathalie currently wields the Peacock Miraculous, but she will be stopping soon. I would like you to take over for her. Naturally, Adrien would take my place as Hawkmoth. Ever since Timetagger, I've always known that someone else would take my place. It only makes sense that it would be my son."

"Wait...isn't the Peacock Miraculous damaged? Won't using it make me sick?"

"We've learned that the effects take years to before they become serious. That's why Nathalie won't be continuing her work as Mayura. The only reason my wife became sick so quickly was because she was wearing the Miraculous when the accident occurred."

"They're not evil...they're insane!" Marinette thought, "Quick! Say something! Anything!"

"Awesome!" she said with forced enthusiasm, "Count me in! What's next?"

Gabriel looked at her and smiled. "I'm happy to see that you're on board. I knew I could put my faith in you. Our next step will be to tell Adrien. I'm going to need your help with this. As you know, he's not as level headed as you or I. He has a tendency to overreact. Then, I plan on training the two of you to take over."

As Gabriel finished his statement, an idea burst into Marinette's head. It was risky, but it might just work. If she succeeded, then the threat of Hawkmoth would be neutralized, and Adrien's family would be whole once again. However, this plan hinged on how Adrien reacted to all of this, but knowing her kitty, he would definitely be on board.

Marinette clasped her hands together. "How about you let me tell him? Then we can come over for dinner tonight and talk about it as a family."

"Are you sure? We can tell him together?" Gabriel suggested.

"No, I can do it. But I just want to double-check...the only reason you're Hawkmoth is because you want to save your wife, right? You don't have dreams of becoming a maniacal overlord who takes over the world?" She awaited his response with bated breath.

Gabriel chuckled. "No. You shouldn't listen to everything you hear on the news. As I said before, I'm not a villain. I do this for my family, and when I am done the world will be reset. No one will have been harmed."

"Cool. Yeah...okay. Got it. So, I'm going to go. I guess we'll see you later?"

"Before you leave, I cannot stress the importance of keeping this quiet. Adrian is the only other person who can know."

Marinette laughed nervously and gave him a shaky thumbs-up. "Yeah, no...don't worry. Your secret is safe with me! Yup! You can count on Marinette Dupain-Cheng!"

"Thank you," he replied, bowing his head in gratitude.

She started walking away quickly, and then she stopped in her tracks. "Uhm...Gabriel? I have just one problem. I don't know how to get out of here."

He walked over to Marinette and placed a hand on her back. "Come. I will show you the way."

Marinette had the Agreste's driver drop her off at Adrien's apartment. She sprinted up the stairs and pounded on his door. Within seconds, he was standing before her in the open doorway with a confused expression on his face.

"Marinette?" he asked, "What are you doing here? I thought you would be at the office all day. You said that you had to finish a dress design."

"So," she began, rocking onto the balls of her feet, "that was the original plan, but then something happened."

He took her hand and gently guided her into the apartment. "What's wrong? Are you okay? You're not sick or hurt, are you?"

Marinette could hear the panic in his voice, and she wanted to assuage his fears. However, she knew that what she had to say would only shock him.

"I'm fine, but I have good news and bad news. Can we sit down?" Her heart started racing as she looked into his eyes.

He walked her over to the couch, and they both took a seat. "Okay...what's going on?"

She reached out and took his hand. "I'm going to start with the bad news. It turns out that your mother is alive."

Adrien leaped off of the couch. "Wait. How is that bad news? Did my father talk to you? Did you see her?"

She patted the seat next to her. "Please sit back down. I'm not finished."

He hesitantly obliged.

Marinette sighed before continuing. "Yes, your mom is alive, but she's not awake. I know how to fix this, but there is an even bigger problem that we have to deal with first. Adrien, your dad is Hawkmoth."

Adrien calmly nodded his head and shrugged. This was not the reaction she was expecting.

"I knew it," he mumbled.

Marinette's eyes grew wide. "I'm sorry. Could you please repeat that?"

"Plagg!" he called out, "We were right!"

The black Kwami zipped into the room. "You owe me so much cheese right now, kid."

"Could one of you tell me what's going on right now?" Marinette crossed her arms.

Adrien pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ugh...where do I start? Do you remember when I accidentally revealed my identity to you by complaining about my dad?"

"How could I forget?"

"Well, about six years ago I had a bit of a mental breakdown. When you suggested that my dad was Hawkmoth, it kind of created this doubt in the back of my mind. Even though we ruled him out after he was Akumatized, the idea of him being Hawkmoth never left. I struggled with it for about a year, and it all came to a head that day you found out I was Chat. I've come to terms with the idea of him being a villain. Plagg helped me with that. Figuring out the truth has kind of been our secret mission for the past few years."

"And you were going to tell me about this...when?" Marinette glared at him.

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. "Uhhh...I'm telling you now. I didn't want to worry you until I had concrete evidence. I could never find any proof, so I just kind of kept it to myself."

"You are so lucky that I love you. I just spent the past hour in your dad's creepy lair underneath the mansion looking at your comatose mother while he told me his plan to bring her back. Some heads up would have been nice."

"Wait...why did he tell you any of this?"

"He wants me to be the new Mayura and for you to become the new Hawkmoth."

Adrien leaned back on the couch. "That's insane. This is insane. You know this is insane, right?"

Tikki phased through Marinette's purse and hovered between them. "I think it's time you told him the good news."

Adrien's eyes darted between his fiancée and her Kwami. "What?"

Marinette beamed. "I have a plan."

"You always do. Let's hear it, Bugaboo."

"We're going to need help, but by this time tomorrow we could be Hawkmoth free, and you could have your mother back."

A Chat-like grin spread across Adrien's face. "I think I like the sound of that."