A/N - Sorry for the wait! But here's the conclusion to Waitress! There will be an epilogue coming, so look out for that!
Hope you enjoy!
ladybuginette - Sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger! I hope you like the update!
lala1224 - I'm so glad you like the story! Hope you like the conclusion just as much!
SwagaliciousWillowbrook - It must have been fate! I'm so happy you stumbled across my story! :)
authordra - And I listened to every song while writing it! Waitress has a fantastic soundtrack.
Marinette stood opposite from Luca in the living room of their home, still in the gown from the wedding.
"You must think I'm really stupid," He told her.
"No, I-"
"Unzip that cushion," Luca pointed to the couch.
"I don't want-"
"Do it."
Cautiously, holding her ever-growing belly, Marinette made her way to the couch, unzipping the cushion. Luca reached inside and yanked out a pile of cash.
"What is this, Marinette?"
"Money."
"That's right. Money. And it's all over the house. In the drawers, in cabinets, in the sofa. Money all over my house."
"I'm sorry-"
"After everything I've done for you," He interrupted her. "You go and hide money from me? I'm the one who took you in. Did you forget that? Do I need this right now?"
Luca grabbed his guitar from the couch, that traitorous couch, and slammed it on the floor.
"Luca, don't! You love that guitar!" She pleaded.
"You're the only person I've ever loved!" He told her. "The only person who ever loved me! You're my wife, my whole life! You having a secret from me tears me apart. Why are you hiding money?"
"I… I wanted to…" Marinette stammered.
"Tell me you were going to buy me a present," He demanded. "Tell me you were going to surprise me. If I ever thought you weren't happy being my wife, that you were deceiving me… I would kill myself."
Marinette closed her eyes. Closed them against his words, which she knew were a tool of manipulation, a way to control her, gain her pity… but still.
"The truth is, Luca…" She began, opening her eyes, regretting it when she met his intense gaze. "The truth is it's money for the baby."
He froze, and she knew he hadn't considered it.
"To buy it some nice things," She continued, more confident now. "A crib, toys. It was all for the baby."
"It was for the baby," He echoed, and Marinette nodded.
"Yes, Luca. For the baby. For a crib."
He nodded, slowly, before turning and walking a few paces away. Marinette let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.
"I don't know why you have to make it so hard, Marinette," He told her, taking the money from the cushion and slipping it into his pocket. "I just want us to be happy."
With that, he walked out of the room.
Marinette collapsed onto the sofa, next to the broken guitar and the empty cushion. Remnants of what was and what could have been. She thought up another letter;
Dear baby,
If you ever want to know the story of how we bought your crib, I'll tell you. Your crib was bought with the money I was going to use to buy a new life. The Springfield Pie Contest is starting next week, and you and I will not be in attendance.
You know, most days I don't recognize myself. And that's not easy, knowing I'm nothing like I used to be. I might never have been the center of attention, but I did okay. I was imperfect, but at least I tried. And I was good, even if I lied. I was hard on myself, and I never asked for help from anyone. I still am, and I still don't. And I was kind, if not messy and a bit lonely. But that girl is gone.
Baby, you're not what I asked for. If I'm honest, I know I would give it all back for a chance to start over, write a new ending for the girl I used to be. The one that used to be mine.
Marinette was in the kitchen when she felt it. She clutched her stomach in pain, keeling over as she cried out.
Before she knew it, she was in the hospital, dizzy and clutching at sheets as the contractions grew stronger. Luca sat next to her, unconcerned, watching whatever program was on the hospital TV.
"Mrs. Dupain-Cheng?" Called a familiar voice. Marinette glanced up to see Adrien at the door.
"Dr. Agreste," she greeted weakly, painfully aware that her husband and lover were in the same room for the first time. "This is my husband, Luca."
Luca held up a camera he had brought to capture the moment.
"Mind saying something doctor-like?"
"Uh… hello, Luca."
"...Yeah, don't quit your day job doc. Mind taking a picture of me and my wife?" He reached over Marinette to hand Adrien the camera, accidentally knocking against her stomach in the process. She cried out in pain, and he shushed her. "Don't be dramatic."
Adrien rushed to her side.
"It's okay, Marinette. Just take my hand," He paused, realizing his mistake. "I mean… take his hand. The moment will be here soon. I'll give you privacy."
"Wait, wait!" Marinette called after him as he began to leave the room. He was immediately at her side once more.
"Yes, Marinette?"
"I want to be clear about one thing."
"Okay?"
"I want drugs," She insisted desperately, terrified of the coming pain. "A massive amount of drugs. The legal limit of drugs."
Adrien couldn't help but smile.
"Will do," He frowned as a nurse wheeled in Fu, sitting in a wheelchair. "Are you supposed to be here?"
"Yes, now shoo!" Fu told him.
"Fu!" Marinette cried happily. "Oh my gosh, you're here! Is… is your surgery today?"
"This afternoon," He confirmed. "Chloe told me you were here. I got you a card from the gift shop downstairs. It's silly and flowery… almost gave me diabetes."
Marinette giggled at that, taking the card and beginning to open it.
"Don't open it now," He insisted. "Open it later, when all the fuss is over."
Luca strolled over.
"I'm Luca," He introduced himself to Fu, who eyed him with disgust. "The father-to-be."
"How could I forget you?" Fu rolled his eyes, before calling to his nurse. "Wheel me out!"
"Wait, give me a hug first!" Marinette insisted.
"Absolutely not," He told her, before being wheeled from the room, just as more doctors rushed in. A woman appeared by her bedside, with olive green eyes and long, hip-length chestnut brown hair with bangs. She was smiling, and yet Marinette couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"My name is Lila Agreste," She introduced herself, tone friendly but eyes cold and hard. :Adrien has told me so much about you."
Marinette froze, glancing towards Adrien.
"I believe I mentioned my wife was doing her residency here," He reminded her, a hint of panic in his eyes. Marinette turned back to Lila, and caught her scowling, a flash of jealousy and anger in her eyes. It quickly morphed back into a smile when she realized Marinette was looking.
"I must've missed that," Marinette managed to get out, before doubling over in pain.
"Don't worry," Lila soothed her. "You're in great hands with my husband." She practically spat the final word, and Marinette tried not to laugh at the irony of her sentence. In his hands indeed. She almost wondered if Lila knew. But then another wave of pain came over her and she no longer cared.
"She going to be here the whole delivery?" Marinette asked Adrien, before pausing and rephrasing. "I mean, are all the residents going to be here?"
"No, no," He reassured her quickly. "They're just here to observe the administration of the epidural. I'm clearing the room now. Everybody, out!"
Luca aimed the camera back at Marinette, and she glared at him.
"Luca, if you don't get that camera out of my face I'm going to smash it," She growled, and he stepped back reluctantly.
Pain seized hold of her and she doubled over. She was vaguely aware of voices in the background, but she could hardly focus on them.
"She's fully dilated, Doctor. I think it's time for her to push."
"Then let's go."
As the room began to spin, there was only one thing Marinette could cry out;
"I don't want a baby, Luca!"
Marinette was stirred from her exhausted state by the sound of crying. Lifting her head, she saw Adrien cradling her baby in his arms.
"It's a girl," He told her warmly.
"A girl?" Luca wrinkled his nose, clearly disappointed.
"Would you like to hold your baby, Marinette?"
There was no response.
"Marinette?"
Finally, she nodded.
"Give her to me."
Adrien carefully deposited the child into Marinette's arms… and in that moment everything changed.
"Oh my god," Marinette breathed. She stared down at the face of her daughter, suddenly overcome with kinds of emotions she never thought she would feel after this hell of a pregnancy - joy, pride, happiness, and awe at the little creature she had given life to.
"Remember what I said," Luca began nervously. "Don't you go loving this baby more than me."
Marinette paused. She looked up at Luca, across the room at Adrien, and back down at her newborn baby.
She knew what she had to do.
"I don't love you, Luca." She told him. "I haven't in a very long time. I want a divorce."
Luca froze.
"That's not funny, Marinette," He told her. "You shouldn't be joking like that. You would… you would never leave me."
"Watch me," She replied simply.
"You won't do anything," He insisted. Luca took a step towards her, only for Adrien to pull him back. "Don't touch me, get your hands off of me."
"I want you the hell out of my life," Marinette said. Despite being confined to a hospital bed, her determination gave her all the power she needed. "You are never to touch me, ever again. I am done with you. If you ever come within six yards of us, I will flatten your sorry ass, and I will enjoy doing it."
The two stared at one another for a minute, eyes locked in a battle for dominance. It was Marinette who won, and Luca left the room without another word.
With no second thoughts and no regrets of which to speak, Marinette returned her full attention to her daughter.
Chloe and Alya rushed into the room, immediately crowding her bedside.
"You did it, girl," Chloe told her proudly. Marinette just smiled, beckoning the two closer.
"Meet your godmothers," She whispered to her daughter, before looking up with a smile. "I'm going to call her Lulu."
As if in response, Lulu squirmed in her blanket, offering her mother the beginnings of a smile.
"You like that?" Marinette asked with a grin. "Lulu?"
Alya and Chloe giggled.
"We're going to be so happy, Lulu," Marinette promised. "Not just happy enough. Really, truly happy."
The room fell into silence, only to soon be broken as another presence entered the space.
"Hello?" Nino called, poking his head through the door. He approached the bed, taking Alya's hand.
"Oh!" Alya said. "Nino and I wanted you to know that you can stay with us for a while. Until you get back on your feet."
"Thank you, Alya," Marinette smiled gratefully. "I would really appreciate that."
Just then, Juleka came along, gently taking Lulu to be cleaned and readied for discharge from the hospital.
Behind her was Adrien, who stood awkwardly in the doorway, eyes darting between Marinette, her friends, and the nurse.
"Chloe, I think we have some business in the hallway," Alya stated, eyes landing on Adrien.
"What? No we don't."
"Yes, we do," Alya grabbed the other girl by the shirt, hauling her out of the room.
Marinette looked at Adrien, both of them silent as the nurse wheeled Lulu away. As soon as the door shut behind her, he stepped forward.
"How are you doing?"
Marinette just sighed, a wistful smile on her face.
"Have you ever seen a baby that beautiful before?"
"Well, out of the 762 that I've delivered… between us, she is definitely the most beautiful."
Marinette giggled, before falling silent once more.
"I know what you're thinking," Adrien began, before pausing. "No, I don't. That's a lie. What are you thinking?"
With effort, Marinette stood from her hospital bed, turning to face him.
"Here's what I'm thinking," She told him, eyes flashing with determination. "I"m thinking that I just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, who needs to be my number one priority. I'm thinking that I don't have the time or energy for an affair."
"Marinette-" Adrien started, but she cut him off.
"Please, let me finish," She told him, more gently than before. "I'm thinking that I love you. I'm thinking that I want to be with you. I saw the way you held Lulu, and I'm thinking that you would be a wonderful father. But I'm also thinking that there is no way in hell you are staying a part of my life while Lila is still in the picture."
"About that-"
"It might not be fair for me to ask you to leave your wife, and I get that, I do! But I also think-"
Frustrated, Adrien crossed the room and pulled Marinette into a kiss. Pulling back, she stared up at him, stunned into silence.
"Let me finish, Marinette," He told her quietly. "Right after we finished baking that pie together, I went home and told my wife I wanted a divorce. The paperwork is being filled as we speak. I've gotten angry calls from my father, but I can't bring myself to care. Because I love you too."
"Really?" Marinette asked, feeling the tears begin to flow. "You mean it?"
"Yes, Marinette," Adrien replied. "I mean it."
When she was discharged from the hospital, Marinette didn't go home to Luca, or even to Alya and Nino. Instead, she went home with Adrien.
Marinette was never one to rely on others for support, and normally would have opposed moving in so suddenly - especially since Adrien had to do some last minute shopping for baby supplies. But oddly enough, this time she could accept it.
After all, she would have years to pay him back.
That night, with Lulu sleeping soundly in her new crib, Marinette wrote her final letter to her baby.
Dear Lulu,
Today's just a day, like all the ones before it. But I am different - I'm a mother. And everything that happened before now doesn't matter anymore.
I was lost before you, Lulu. But now we have each other.
I didn't see it at first, but sometimes what happens in life really is meant to be. Because you saved me, Lulu. Everything has come into focus now, and all my mistakes make sense. And in the blink of an eye, there's a new life in front of my face.
Lulu, if anyone asks, I swear I will tell them that we were both born today - because everything changed.
A/N - So, as you might have noticed, I changed the ending from the musical/movie to give Adrien and Marinette a happily ever after. These two characters are quite different from Jenna and Jim, who they are loosely based on, and I felt it was only right to give them a different ending.
Thank you for sticking with me until the end! Feel free to check out some of my other stories. I've written stories for Supernatural (Destiel), Voltron: Legendary Defender (Klance), Series of Unfortunate Events, Glee, An Unfortunate Fairy Tale, and of course more Miraculous!
Reminder: Look out for the epilogue of this story!
As always, be sure to leave a review with your thoughts and suggestions, and I'll see you in the next chapter!