"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Hawk Moth's scream of pure rage and frustration bounced off the walls of his lair as it echoed throughout the room. He threw his cane down onto the ground and stomped on it furiously before his transformation released itself and Nooroo fell to the floor in exhaustion.

"Another failure!" Gabriel spat out disgustedly. "Another Akuma gifted with great power has been defeated again by a teenage girl and her fool of sidekick. How?! How does this keep happening?"

"I don't know, Master!" Nooroo whimpered. "The Ladybug Miraculous and the Black Cat Miraculous hold great power. They have rarely been defeated."

"I don't care!" Gabriel snarled. "All I want is their Miraculous Stones and I wanted them months ago. My patience is waning, Nooroo."

Nooroo let out another pathetic whimper and Gabriel rolled his eyes in revulsion before he yanked off the purple butterfly brooch and sent Nooroo back to whatever limbo plane Kwamis go back to when they were not active. With another aggravated growl, Gabriel stormed out of his lair and back into his office.

His arm shot out and swiped off the many papers, files, and picture frames off. The loud, clattering, noise and the terrible mess did nothing to improve his mood.

"I take it," Nathalie said dryly, "that this Akuma Attack had not been the triumphant victory you had hoped it to be."

"No, of course it was!" Gabriel sneered sarcastically. "That's why Emile has returned to us, and together we're just delirious with love and happiness and planning a welcome home party to surprise Adrien with. DOES IT FUCKING LOOK LIKE THAT I WAS VICTORIOUS?!"

Nathalie merely responded with a reproving glance over her glasses. It was, much to Gabriel's everlasting annoyance, enough to make him feel ashamed like some naughty schoolboy caught trying to put a frog down a girl's dress.

Not that he had ever done such a thing!

The girl who used to sit in front of him when he was eight was such a liar!

"The Akuma failed," Gabriel muttered through gritted teeth, "again! And we were so close this time as well! The Akuma was inches away from taking Ladybug's earring when that blasted Lucky Charm worked it's magic! And then once again that infernal little bug got away once more."

"If I recall the last five Akumas were so close as well," Nathalie said flatly, "one had even taken one of Ladybug's earrings out of her ear before the tide was turned against her."

"Yes!" Gabriel hissed irritably. "I know that!"

"And recently you haven't had much luck with your Akumas whatsoever," Nathalie continued, "they have taken to arguing back with you – one had even turned your entire lair against you in an attempt to kill you!"

"I know!" Gabriel shouted. "What is your point, Nathalie?"

"My point is, Sir," Nathalie replied coolly, "is that perhaps it is time you took a different approach to this problem. Clearly the Akumas are not making any progress. If this was a design that was not coming out right, you would not be using the same material and designer over and over again."

Gabriel gave this some actual thought.

As a successful businessman and designer, he knew that the first course of action was not necessarily the right answer to a problem. There is always a variable that could change things for better or worse. His first draft of a new product was never the end result. Things change, and evolve, and if he adapted his plans to those changes he was usually all the more successful.

He relaxed a little at that.

"You make a valid point, Nathalie," he admitted, "but how exactly could I change my approach? There is very little room for evolution without making myself vulnerable to being captured or revealed."

"Perhaps, Sir," Nathalie said slowly, "you ought to consider using someone close to Ladybug to manipulate her into giving you her Miraculous out of her free will?"

"I don't know" Gabriel said uncertainly, "that girl has managed to keep her identity firmly under wraps. I have no indication whatsoever to who she may or may not care for."

"She seems rather fond of that Ladyblog girl," Nathalie suggested, "there has been many occasions in which she went out of her way to rescue the child."

"No," Gabriel shook his head, "Many of Ladybug's better successes has happened when Miss Cesaire is in great peril. To place her in any more would only lead to more humiliating defeats. I wish to crush Ladybug's spirit to mere dust, not motivate her to become an even bigger nuisance."

"The Bourgeois girl?"

Was it just him or did Nathalie sound a little hopeful at the thought of Andre's daughter being in danger?

Not that Gabriel could blame her.

Miss Bourgeois might be a huge help to him when it came to creating Akumas and new possibilities to steal Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous but that didn't prevent the little brat from being the most annoying, shrill, child in Paris.

If he didn't need his wish to save Emile, he would definitely use it to get rid of Chloe Bourgeois' voice, and he was sure all of Paris would hail him a hero for it.

Including Ladybug and Chat Noir.

"No," Gabriel shook his head, "Ladybug has made her disdain of Miss Bourgeois quite clear in the past. She might be tempted to not come at all. What we did is someone that Ladybug is blatantly smitten with, someone she would abandon all responsibility to rescue, someone she can't stop thinking or worrying about, someone per...."

Gabriel trailed off as his son's beautiful smile caught his eye.

His perfect son that Ladybug was clearly infatuated with.

He remembered the incident with Jackady, the one time he really put himself at risk and how Ladybug spent a great deal of her time 'protecting him' by staring at the pictures of Adrien he had up on his walls with a deep blush and loving eyes. His light questioning and bragging about his son and sent the girl into a stammering, blushing, mess. He could recall Nathalie reporting how Ladybug had stammered and stuttered round his son as well, and how Adrien was just as bad.

And then he remembered the Volpina incident, and how Ladybug had actually reached up to take of her Miraculous in order to save the illusion of his son (as if he would ever let an Akuma kidnap his child and dangle him off the Eiffel Tower)!

And most recently, with the swords-woman he could see clearly that Ladybug was flushed and flustered by having Adrien in her arms as she rescued him. She was also clearly distracted the entire fight, worrying about his son.

Gabriel had his perfect bait.

He had Adrien.

"No," he murmured, "no I won't do it."

He won't endanger his son like that.

"Sir?"

"I don't think another route is possible, Nathalie," Gabriel said loudly, "one of my Akumas will be successful. Luck always runs out in the end and then Ladybug will finally get her just deserts."

And with that Gabriel dropped the matter and returned instantly to fabric options for his latest design. He then continued as always – making Akumas, losing, raging about that loss, and then returning to his day job. Rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat, all the while the thought of using Adrien niggled away in the back of the mind.

He didn't have to endanger Adrien.

He could just use his son to lure Ladybug into his lair. Trick her into letting her guard down before he swooped in and plucked those earrings off of her.

No one had to get hurt.

All he had to do was invite her to dinner and drug her, and...

Soon enough one loss had become too many and Gabriel had managed to talk himself into using Adrien as the perfect bait.

It took another gamble of an Akuma.

He deliberately crushed an intern's dream before sending out a butterfly to do this dirty work and then de-transformed in time for Ladybug to rescue him.

There had been some absolutely terrifying moments where Adrien had vanished and Gabriel had almost changed his mind but when Chat Noir left to scene, and Adrien returned hurriedly calling out for Gabriel, Gabriel stood firm on his original plan.

"Adrien!" Gabriel had all but sagged to the floor as he pulled his son into a tight embrace. "Thank God, you're all right!"

Adrien hugged back just as tightly as he nuzzled Gabriel's shoulder slightly like he used to as a small child, and Gabriel felt his heart squeeze at the sensation.

Adrien deserved a life without fear and sorrow, he deserved a life of happiness and love, with his mother home and safe for once and for all. Gabriel felt his resolve stiffen, he was going to get Emile back no matter what! Even if it meant using Adrien as bait.

With a deep breath, Gabriel straightened up and fixed an appropriately grateful expression on his face. "Thank you, Ladybug for saving my son's life," he said sweetly as he tried not to gag on the words. This spiteful little minx had prevented his reunion with his wife for almost a year now, the thought of thanking her for it made him want to vomit. "I owe you a great debt of honour."

"Oh!" Ladybug flushed. "It's, erm, ah, nothing,"

Nothing!

It was nothing to her that she kept thwarting his plans and ruining his life!

Gabriel gritted his teeth.

"It wasn't nothing, Ladybug!" Adrien protested as he smiled radiantly at the polka-dotted hero. His eyes were wide with adoration as he gazed dreamily at the sneaky, sly, bug. Oh Adrien! Gabriel thought sadly, you wouldn't think so highly of her if you knew how she was keeping you from your mother! "It was amazing! You'reamazing! I mean, well, you're just amazing."

Ladybug's cheeks almost rivalled her suit at this point. "Th-th-th-thank you!" she stammered out. "Kind, you're, gah, I mean, you're so kind!" she gabbled. "Really though, it was nothing. Chat Noir did all the work."

Had he?

Gabriel seemed to recall that the cat-themed superhero got himself thrown across the office a good few times and then somehow managed to smack himself in the face with his baton when he tried to twirl it for special effect.

Perhaps Ladybug was a little fonder of her partner than he had initially thought?

That could work in his favour later.

Adrien, however, looked utterly delighted. "Chat Noir would be nothing without you though," he said softly.

Ladybug shook her head. "I would be nothing without Chat Noir," she replied firmly.

"Regardless," Gabriel said curtly, "I don't see Chat Noir here checking on our well-being like you are. You are truly a role model for all."

Gabriel was going to need soap to wash his mouth out after all this nauseating gushing. Adrien didn't seem to like it either as he stiffened a little at Gabriel's pointed words against Chat Noir.

"Oh, I, err, well," Ladybug twittered gormlessly, "I wouldn't say that!"

"Well I do," Gabriel said smoothly, "and in recognition of your heroic and compassionate actions I wish to invite you to dinner this Friday. I would like to thank you personally."

Adrien brightened up at that.

"Oh! Oh!" Ladybug cried out. "I couldn't! I just did what anyone else would do!"

"Nonsense," Gabriel smiled, "I don't see just anyone else stepping up and doing the right thing, do you? I insist you join us for dinner it is the very least we can do after these many months you spent keeping us safe from Hawk Moth and his Akumas."

"I don't know..." Ladybug said reluctantly.

Gabriel's hand curled into a fist as he tried to keep his patience. Just a little more gentle coaxing, another syrupy compliment, and he might just win her over. He couldn't afford to lose his patience now!

Fortunately, Adrien proved just how perfect he truly was.

"Oh please Ladybug!" he pleaded sweetly. His beautiful green eyes wide and beseeching and the loveliest smile – his mother's smile – etched on his face. Gabriel had often found it extremely difficult to say no to that face (though he has managed it), Ladybug had no chance. "Please come to dinner this Friday!"

"Okay," Ladybug caved instantly, "I'd love to come."

It took all of Gabriel's self-control and restraint to not suddenly pump his fist in the air and cheer. Finally! Something was going his way for once.

"We would be honoured," he smiled instead.

Adrien grinned brilliantly at Ladybug who blushed so deeply that her cheeks matched the scarlet colour of her mask while she smiled back sweetly.

Gabriel coughed pointedly.

"Ah!" Ladybug cried out. "I, erm, should go! Before, you know, earrings, time limit, I, ah, err, you...goodbye!"

And with an awkward wave, she all but flung herself out of the window.

Adrien sighed dreamily.

Gabriel's eye twitched slightly at that. "I do believe," he said stiffly, "that you have homework that needs completing if you wish to spend Friday dining with superheroes."

"Yes, Father," Adrien mumbled obediently.

Gabriel felt his heart twinged with guilt at the miserable expression on his precious boy's face but by the time he worked up the nerve to reach out for a shoulder squeeze or to say something encouraging or loving, Adrien had already shuffled out of his office.

Gabriel turned his eyes to Emile's portrait and drank in her beautiful features, her glorious smile, and despaired how the artist – despite being the best in the business – still failed to capture her warmth and angelic aura.

Gabriel reached out to touch her cheek.

"I'm so close," he whispered, "so close!"

Just a few more fleeting days. Just the right drug to keep a teenage superhero sedated. Just a few minutes to pull out those earrings and find a way to message Chat Noir. And then he would be one more miraculous, on more battle, away from his beloved wife.

"Soon, my love," he promised to his wife's portrait, "soon."

And for what felt like the first time in hundreds of years, Gabriel felt a real smile grace his face.

Soon!