#Gabriel was. disappointed to learn the wings had to be removed. so close to getting the “Angel” they wanted.

[shmorp-mcdurgen]

you said Adams lore has changed in the lab world…instantly curious-

okay so.

Back when the au was first made and before it went on its long hiatus, I said Adam was taken as a child and used as the first test subject for MBT, being the child of Lynn and Jude Murray, who worked at MBT.

Now, he still is. technically the child of Lynn and Jude, but. he was never born. he was grown.

Using DNA from Lynn, Jude, some from Gabriel, and whatever other DNA could fill in the gaps, Gabriel grew a human (mostly) specimen in a tube. being Adam. Took a few months for him to grow to a point where he could be let out of the tube (and sense his growing was accelerated while in the tube, he was aged to like. young toddler at this point.) However, after another few years, Lynn had grown attached to her "son", and wanted him to leave the facility, so she sabotaged the equipment, and let Adam out of the facility to flee into town. Due to this, she was killed, and Jude, who was meant to be looking after Adam, was. met with a worse fate.

So TLDR: Adam was grown in a lab tube and escaped a few years later, meaning he was never fully human in the first place and never knew he wasn't until he was recaptured in 2007.

[reithel1]

Lucifer: Revelations (Outline for a Movie)

OR

Lucifer: Season 6.66

(How I Would Have Written Season 6):

I Love the actors, the characters and have deep appreciation for everyone in front of and behind the cameras… the story had quite a few good things… but parts were missing, some were confusing and some parts that were just plain mean… you naughty writers!

Lucifer Season Six was a disappointment to a lot of people. I swear, if I hear one more person say “bittersweet” I’m going to kick someone right in their dark chocolate.

It wasn’t “bittersweet” … much of the Chloe-and-Lucifer story was just bitter, period. (Also, a lot of folks are appalled at the way Trixie was snubbed…)

First, it’s obvious that none of your writers are old enough to understand the pain they are trying to write about…

They say, “it’s ok because they know Lucifer and Chloe will have eternity together”… This is something that a younger person would write… someone who has never had to live for several decades without that one person… the love of her life, raise his child alone… missing those milestones… first steps, first giggles, birthdays and holidays… it’s even worse, much worse, if he is somewhere else missing them too and she has to feel his pain too. And that is just HUMAN suffering.

Compound that with knowing your loved one is in a place where a month of your pain is a thousand years of torture for him, and it becomes unfathomable.

I have done the human part and wouldn’t even wish that pain on a fictional character.

That Time Travel nonsense just doesn’t work if it means that Lucifer has to sacrifice everything he has worked through, trying to so hard to come to grips with his own daddy issues. There is NO WAY that he would agree to walk away from his own child after all of that. NO WAY that he becomes a deadbeat Daddy.

So, I learned a new word… RETCON… it means “Retroactive Continuity”… something can be changed so that things that come after it can also be changed…

This can be corrected if it is shown that parts of the sixth season were just old, sick Chloe’s dementia, bad dreams, an injury or an illness-driven hallucination...

For one thing, once Rory returned to Chloe’s deathbed, couldn’t she have EASILY just sent up a prayer to Uncle Amenadiel aka GOD, and said, “I know the truth now, please tell Dad it’s time to come home, Mom needs him... it’s time!” and Lucifer could have been there within seconds! So the final scenes of Chloe dying without him don’t make any sense. Amenadiel not taking Chloe to see her Dad and Mom in heaven before heading to Hell also doesn’t make any sense… if she lived to be old, Penelope would have joined John by then.

So, I present: LUCIFER: REVELATIONS OR SEASON 6.66:

NEW GOD: I would change the plot so that Lucifer initially ascends the throne, attempts being God, (people AND angels died for him to become God, you know), he discovers what a hard job it really is, (remember when he said he hated the cacophony of voices in his head? How hard would it be for him to have to deal with 7.79 billion people praying to him in different languages, almost all at once, and see how he handled THAT!), then discovers Chloe is pregnant and THEN figures out that he doesn’t want the God job... How hard would it be for him when he’s God to constantly hear what she is thinking and have to turn a “deaf ear” to it? Not comment on it out of respect for her... adjust to letting her have some kind of privacy? After awhile, Lucifer begins to take more and more time away from his God duties, as if pretending he’s deaf and turning off his “hearing aid.”

NO GOD: On a celestial level, the other angels get frustrated because Dad has vacated the throne, Michael was gone (being punished in Hell) and Lucifer is gone frequently because he wants to step down — spend more time with Chloe as she nears her due date, then with the baby and Trixie, settling in to being an “earthly” Dad, and sort of neglecting his “Father of the Universe” duties… and Amenadiel doesn’t want it either... New rumbling began regarding who should rule... Since earth is once again basically without a God, things begin to descend into chaos, both on the earthly plane and in Heaven...

MICHAEL: Lucifer’s counsel helps Michael understand that the same parental issues that caused him to be rebellious and mischievous has caused Michael to be resentful and devious… This revelation helps them both, Lucifer forgives Michael and after awhile, Michael finally forgives himself for being a dickhead, and finally self-actualizes his wings back. Michael returns to the Silver City, and is happily reunited with all his siblings who are pleased that he has found his way... but soon, he feels the tension of the empty throne, he considers trying to claim it, but he is a different angel now, feels that it is no longer his destiny or his desire to rule... he feels unfulfilled in Heaven and returns to Hell to help Lucifer with his giant new task of helping lost souls find their own way out.

Lucifer is surprised and very pleased to be working wing-to-wing with his brother and it helps lighten his work load, but is dismayed to hear of the unrest in Heaven and the disintegration of things on earth. Since Michael has made such a transformation, while Lucifer was still God, he fixes Michael’s wing and shoulder, removes his scar and makes him beautiful again, with shimmering gold wings. Now he’s just as lovely as Lucifer and has no further reason for jealousy.

AMENADIEL: I wanted to see Amenadiel in a situation where he saved that racist boss by stepping in front of him and deflecting a bullet… the same black guy he has been so horrid to has now saved him… Amenadiel could have a few choice words for him, maybe pulls his shirt open and show him there is no bulletproof vest… right before leaving to go back to the Silver City.

NEW REBELLION: Near the end of the Movie: Wouldn't it be great if Lucifer and Michael could return to Heaven for a battle scene and fight together with Amenadiel against a new rebellion led by someone other than Lucifer or Michael? Now Lucifer is finding out how his father felt when Lucifer rebelled against Him all those many years ago! Surprised? Betrayed? Angry? Hurt? (Maybe it could even be Rory or some as-yet unborn angel child that starts this rebellion against him... but this time, it’s not because he wasn’t a good Dad, but because he is not being a good God in their eyes.)

They would find a way to make their brothers and sisters stand down by stopping the rebellion by a show of wit and power but not fighting... maybe just as the battle is about to begin, Lucifer (who is still God at this point) slices a veil of clouds with the flaming sword, showing a brilliant white and diamond view of a Heavenly Host of souls, millions of them... (CGI) all the good souls who have agreed, plus all the souls that he has saved from Hell and ascended to Heaven who have vowed never to serve any angel who takes the throne by force... (this scene would be great close to the end of the movie for a chance to see everyone one last time as they all stand together in the clouds in support of Lucifer), and can include any/all main characters that have recently deceased — if any — Ella, Maze, Eve, Linda, Trixie... previous characters: John and Penelope Decker, Dan and Charlotte, Father Kinley/Dromos and Squee, Delilah, Jimmy Barnes, Father Frank, Candy Morningstar, Reese, Cain, Abel and LeMec and Mr Said Out Bitch and any angels like RayRay, Zadkiel, Sara, Gabriel, and any other fan favorites from the past that we’d recognize, anyone who is available and willing to do it for the right price), and it is an amazing, breathtaking sight to behold... and with Chloe, Michael, and Amenadiel by his side, Lucifer says, “What would be the point of sitting on a throne in an empty kingdom where the only ones to bend a knee will be a few of your own brothers and sisters?”

This has paved the way for the New God...

(Note: For a couple of seconds each, show a view of the couch back home in Hell’s Therapy Office: Julian and his dad Mr. Tiernan are waiting for their session, squabbling. In another room, Malcom is sitting in a lumpy chair in front of a big screen TV that doesn’t work, with a table of food looks beautiful but has no taste or smell, and a glance into another room with Pete surrounded by lilies, listening to angry women — Ella’s voice and his mother’s — screaming at him 24/7. He and Malcom are both staring at a sign above a Red Light that isn’t lit... “Come to Therapy Office when Lit”)

NEW GOD/OG GOD: The three brothers calmed the rebellion, but they still have an empty throne that none of them really want to ascend to... Lucifer is still technically God, and Michael and Amenadiel try to convince Lucifer that he should resume his duties but Lucifer and Michael are now humble enough to know that it is not their calling... their work in Hell needs them.

Big fanfare! Dad comes back, and Lucifer gladly returns the family business back to its rightful owner... ALL of Lucifer’s lessons are NOW FINALLY completed, FINALLY he has a whole new understanding of how tough God’s job was, he has a whole new appreciation and respect for his Dad and the two of them can finally have the relationship they have always needed and Lucifer has always craved and Lucifer will finally have the chance to have a real family with his Dad and Mum, since they worked out their shit in her dimension, (He’s GOD for Heaven’s sake, you damn well know He can travel between dimensions if He wants to, and I’m sure Goddess is equally powerful and can come and go as She pleases too... gimme a break!

PS: Uriel and Remi can make an appearance too, because I am quite sure Dad is very capable of snatching his children’s souls out of their bodies, or creating replicas or holograms or whatever… removing them from harm’s way just in the nick of time, or giving them new bodies up in the Silver City. He IS God!)

God tells Lucifer he saw him at the Colosseum and was practicing blinking his eyes at the end (we saw three quick black outs at the end of season five while Lucifer held up the flaming sword and said, “Oh my Me”... figured it must’ve been God blinking, but it wasn’t mentioned again).

The three brothers now understand the pecking order, Amenadiel is second in command and has his ability to slow time plus almost as many powers as God (but not quite all the “omni’s”), and Lucifer and Michael are 2nd and 3rd in line, having slightly less powers than Amenadiel but more than the other angels, are happy to facilitate the transformation of Hell while helping out in Heaven whenever called upon to do so — those rare times when God, Goddess and Amenadiel are absent, need extra help or errands run somewhere in the world. Lucifer is still the Lightbringer but that is about all that stands him apart from Michael at that point, as they stand together as matching archangels.

And maybe in the end, the seven of them, (Dad, Mum, Amenadiel, Linda, Lucifer and Chloe and Michael) all working together to make earth and hell better places, and raise Charlie, Trixie and Rory and any future angel babies to be the next generation so that Grandpa and Grandma, Moms, Dads and Uncles can actually take a Vacay once in awhile and visit Mum’s dimension... or... Boca maybe? French Riviera? And Michael helps cover the workload in Hell’s Therapy Office, while Lucifer is away.

LINDA: Speaking of Linda, Linda and Amenadiel should realize eventually that they miss each other and really do love each other. In my story, Dad returns and takes his throne back so that would give Amenadiel and Linda plenty of time to fall back in love, especially now that Maze has married and no longer has a reason to be jealous of them. God and Goddess may retire eventually, or at least lighten their load in this dimension so they can work part time in Goddess’s dimension, so it would be nice if Amenadiel wasn’t going to be alone for eternity since he will obviously be second in command, and in charge, when God and Goddess are busy elsewhere. Plus, there’s Charlie and maybe future angel babies???

DAN: I would have shown Lucifer spending more time with Dan but getting frustrated with him like he always did, (and like he did with Mr. SOB), until he finally takes Dan through a rewind of every important scene of the last days of his life, in reverse, to see why he was feeling guilty... he would have landed on Trixie and their game of unicorn armies soon enough. (And by the way... how is it that Lucifer instantly knew the source of Lee’s guilt, and the Professor’s, and apparently everyone else’s in hell, but couldn’t figure out what Dan was feeling guilty about???) The way Dan ended up in Heaven with Charlotte, waffles and chocolate pudding cups was pretty perfect. I wouldn’t change that.

They didn’t need the whole time travel bullshit to pull it off... and it would have made a much better story without it.

MAZE and EVE: Maze and Eve was pretty good... in a movie, we could see more of their daily life, find out if they have a dungeon in their basement... you know, for Saturday night orgies... (or for some quick, fun torture before turning in their bounty catches)... find out if they ever decided to raise a kid together... maybe Trixie went to stay with them when she turned 18?

Plot twist! Maybe something happens to Trixie and Maze sacrifices herself to save her and dies... ends up in Heaven after all. (See below.)

ADAM: I thought the guy they cast for Adam was an odd choice... Eve looked like she came from that region, but he didn’t look like someone who supplied a rib to make her... all things being equal and taking DNA into consideration.... He should have looked more like her.... But oh well, not my place.... Anyway... maybe God can park Adam in Mum’s new universe and see if She can “pull” something better out of him, LoL. Hopefully his first two sons in Her dimension won’t set us all up to be potential homicidal maniacs.

ELLA: Ella and Carol seemed to be getting along ok, we could find out if she finally found a good guy... or does she like tequila too much to stick with him? Does he backslide into drinking and become violent with her? Does she have to defend herself with the taser she keeps on her key ring these days?

LOL. Anyway, there should be a scene where RayRay comes for a visit... maybe two scenes... one where she stops by to say hello right when Ella finds out that celestials are real and then again at the moment of her death. And Ella should feel welcomed and comforted by her friend RayRay in that moment... which could be something violent and dramatic (and very poignant) if it happens when she’s young... like a shooter in the police station or something.

Then she could see Amenadiel and Lucifer when they welcome her into Heaven. After Michael redeems himself, he and Ella might be a great pair in Heaven... she’s always been attracted to bad boys, and Michael, being an ex-bad boy, might be just what she needs... and her heavenly brightness, might be just what he needs! Michael needs somebody to love him and give him the balance that Chloe gives Lucifer. Yes... perfect... and then Michael would also have his eternal mate. Michael could even fly her down to Hell at some point to peek in on Pete… just for shits and giggles.

One final note about Ella... once God returns, now that Ella knows the truth... she will demand a wedding. We all know Ella wouldn’t let Chloe’s baby be born without Chloe being married to the baby daddy... even if he is an angel... and even if the officiant is God... she would want the pomp and circumstance and the flourish for Chloe and for all their friends. (Because their police friends don’t know that Lucifer is an Angel and God-frey is GOD and Lucifer’s brother/aka Officer Amenadiel is an Angel...) she would want to put on the whole shindig as much for them as the for the happy couple! (The fans want it too!) And woweee what a wedding night!

TRIXIE: I would have shown a few short clips and bits or a montage of Trixie as she reached adulthood… not only milestones like getting driver’s license and a not-catholic-Chloe giving her the keys then crossing herself… first kiss, cap and gown pic of high school graduation, but also brief scenes of her holding pic of Dan crying… maybe even looking at her mom’s gun… sitting on Linda’s couch…

Maybe Trixie follows in the family tradition and joins the LAPD when she’s old enough... Pete has been in a mental institution but has conned everyone that he’s sane and is out now… Trixie is in the precinct when Pete shows up bearing a grudge and a semi-automatic pistol… Maze and Eve are there with their latest bounty, Ella is there with some evidence on a case, and is scared when she sees him… Pete shoots at Ella, but Maze jumps him, takes the bullet, starts fighting… Pete isn’t great with a gun (and he’s still crazy) so he misses Ella, but he keeps shooting… then RayRay shows up, tells Ella not to worry, to close her eyes, everything will be fine,(nobody else can see her of course)… Maze ends up saving Trixie and Eve and several other people in the office with her ninja skills, but during the scuffle, one of the bullets hits Ella and several others are deflected, but Maze takes two more hits that would have killed Trixie and Eve and a couple of other officers receive non-life-threatening GSWs. Maze is a tough cookie, but even she can’t survive being shot three times at close range… and RayRay makes sure Ella feels no fear or pain as she transcends then goes back for Maze who survives a little longer. Long enough for a tearful, heartfelt goodbye to Eve... maybe she sings a few bars of Wonderwall? Eve, who, being 13 billion years old herself, may follow her to Heaven with a broken heart (or an aneurism or a ruptured appendix) soon after. Who knows. She’s never been sick before... will she know what to do if she feels a pain in her right side?

Ooooo! I just added this:

As she is dying, Maze thinks Eve’s wound is superficial, (but is it?), and tells Eve she thinks she is “Done, ‘over-and-out” and probably headed for Squee’s chamber of torture in Hell since she’s not sure Lucifer ever finished making the changes regarding who could rule…

After RayRay drops off Ella in Heaven she returns to the precinct massacre… Maze thinks she’s there to take Eve and begs RayRay to let Eve live… To keep us guessing, the scene changes…. SO, did RayRay take only Eve back to Heaven? Or put one under each arm and fly away? Did she take one to Heaven and one to Hell? Stay tuned…

Trixie was saved by Maze’s sacrifice and ultimately becomes a Detective like her mom and dies heroically, in the line, years later, after marrying and giving Chloe and Lucifer a couple of grandchildren to dote over. Happy reunion scene in Heaven with Dad-Dan and Grandma Penelope Decker, meets Grandpa John Decker. Maybe it could do a quick view of the person Trixie gave her life to save who goes on to become a doctor and find a cure for a disease. Framed on the doctor’s desk is a newspaper clipping of a headline, “Ninja Cop Saves Kid” subheading “Officer Subdued Three Suspects Using Karambit, Freed Hostage Before Being Shot”

LINDA: It doesn’t have to be Rory that helps Lucifer figure out that he’s supposed to be a therapist is Hell... LINDA could be the one to point out to Lucifer that he offered Lee, (Mr. Said Out Bitch), some excellent advice, the same way she’s been offering Lucifer advice for the past five years, only Lee actually took that advice (unlike Lucifer who usually skews or screws up her advice)... And that’s why Lee was there in heaven to help him when he crash-landed... “And hey... wouldn’t it be wonderful if someone could give that kind of advice to other souls down in Hell? Because until the moment that YOU TOOK THE TIME to explain it to Lee, NOBODY DOWN THERE KNEW what was causing their hell loops or that they had ANY CHANCE or ANY METHOD of escaping them! Maybe they just needed somebody to give them that clue. What do you think Lucifer? Do you know anybody who might be UNIQUELY QUALIFIED for that job?” — you see??? No need for a friggin' time travel plot device... no need to torture Lucifer, who has already spent billions of years in hell, by taking him away from the love of life and his child for billions more years!

I could also see Lucifer having a standing weekly appointment with Linda both while still living and in Heaven after she passes, to discuss his most difficult cases and get her take on them and opinions on what he should say, which he will get right sometimes and spectacularly fuck up other times!

Linda loves her role as therapist to the celestial world, and her man is God and Goddess’s 2nd in Command now, her son is an angel... she is set for eternity! The doctor is IN!

CHARLIE, RORY, OTHER ANGEL BABIES: After Amenadiel and Linda come to their senses and finally commit to being together, they should have a set of twins, possibly more babies later. Lucifer and Chloe should have at least one more. Angel babies are smart… half humans start normal… get their wings around the time they are potty trained. Linda and Chloe provide discipline, human education… empathy, sympathy, joy, and as much human history as possible. The children would be extremely smart, could skate through school jumping grades… so being home-schooled seems more logical. Controlling excitable, hyperactive children who can fly will prove quite challenging for the human parents, but the angel Daddies are thrilled with their role… teaching them to fly, schooling them about celestial business… Also, they could grow in stature faster than normal human children. They would look grown up by the age of five, but would still be as immature as children and need their mothers to guide their emotional maturity to catch up to their rapid growth.

DECKERSTAR: In my story, we get to see Lucifer and Chloe happy together, raising Trixie and Rory... Chloe always trying to keep her devilish side in check while Daddy's always having fun. Rory has him wrapped around her pinky and he is a doting daddy. She’s a handful, brilliant in school.... Sometimes a little “spirited” and that gets her in trouble.

She gets bullied at school, she says, “back off Billy, you got no idea who my daddy is! Remember the girl that bullied Trixie?

I can picture her first date... Lucifer says, “have her home by 9:30 OR ELSE” and flashes his red eyes...

The first time a date gets fresh with her and she says, “No means NO!” and tosses them out of the car!

Oh hell, watching Lucifer and Chloe raise Rory and Trixie and any other little angels that come along would be hilariously funny... could be it’s own spin off “Devil Daddy Knows Best” or Daddy Devil Knows Best... I can’t decide.

NUDITY: In a movie, we can see more of Lucifer in the nude, and have hotter sex scenes.... Not x-rated or anything, but we could get closer to R-rated... definitely expand on that orgy scene in “Orgy Pants to Work”!!! (Tom’s wife looks enough like Lauren that with the right lighting and camera angles, they could do a lot together using her as Lauren’s body double and with editing, we would never know which was which!!!). And maybe he’d actually KISS HER.

Sure, the whole “Chloe growing older while Lucifer stays young” plot thing is a pain in the ass... for some of the years, he could dye his hair greyer to match hers until it was white, even though his face wouldn’t have aged.... People see what they want to see... but it would have been a lot more heart-wrenching to have a scene where an older-looking Chloe calls a family meeting and asks the children to please understand that society just won’t handle the truth, and they must fake Lucifer’s death so that they can start a new life someplace else where nobody knows them... that means they won’t get to see him very much because he will have to live elsewhere and they can only go visit and have to pretend he’s dead. At least that way, Chloe can see him on weekends and vacations, and he can fly in for quick visits in the middle of the night when either of them get too lonely. They can set things up ahead of time for rendezvous.

At some point, she can retire from the LAPD and announce that she is moving to Florida or Vegas (some place where folks are used to seeing older women with younger men), or whatever, and she can be a cougar and he’s her pool boy? Massage therapist? Chef? (Could be a running joke.)

When she reaches a certain age, it could be a tear jerking scene if she asks him to leave her because she is embarrassed about her failing body, but would he? Why wouldn’t he just agree to allow her to lie to people and say he was living with her because he was her nephew or male nurse or something? Or simply say he was her caretaker… which wouldn’t be a lie… At that point, nobody would know them, and it’s nobody’s business anyway...

And he would definitely be by her bedside when she died, and so would Trixie and Maze and anyone else that was still alive, (if any... or did she outlive them all because she was stuck with the Tree of Life??? Nobody told us if that, and being able to conceive angel babies were the side effects of being stabbed with the Tree of Life...) and upon her death there would be a tender, tearful, “see you soon,” then RayRay would show up, she would transform into her younger self, and Lucifer would fly her to Heaven to see Amenadiel and her Dad, probably her mom by then, and any of their friends if any of them died first.

OR... DECKERSTAR 2nd OPTION:

We could dispense with the whole “she’s growing old and whatever shall we do???” problem, and just have Chloe die doing what she loves best.. protecting somebody in the line of duty. She could be approaching retirement... she and Lucifer could already be having the “I’m starting to look too old to be with you even though you’re dyeing your hair grey... what should we do?” conversation when one day, they are coming out of a fast food joint with the grandkids and bank robbers step out of the bank next door, she yells “LAPD!” they both step in front of the grandkids as she pulls her gun... RayRay shows up one second later… you see where I’m going with this right? Tearful goodbye scene… no rescue this time… Lilith’s ring is empty… this time, it is her human destiny.

After her death, Lucifer would carry her to Heaven to visit her dad and anyone who predeceased her, and then they would travel back and forth together where she would help him redeem souls part of the time in hell. Same outcome as Season 6.

Maybe, since she was a handmade gift from God (via Amenadiel) to start with, God will turn her into an angel and give her matching white luminescent wings so that she can stand beside Lucifer as an equal, and that way, they can also fly to earth now and then for vacations all over the world after all their friends and family members have crossed over (so nobody on earth freaks out from accidentally seeing them again, LoL, but if she outlived everybody anyway... problem solved.) Hey, He’s God, He can do anything, right? ;o)

Along those same lines, in special consideration for all the help and happiness they have brought to Amenadiel and later to Michael, I could also see God and Goddess granting wings and angel status to Linda and Ella so that they can be suitable mates for His sons for their eternity in Heaven, and able to enjoy all of the perks that go along with that… Maybe, if Chloe outlives them all and she is the last to arrive in Heaven, they could even have a little ceremony, where God and Goddess bestow wings and angel status on them all, including Maze and Eve, which might come as a HUGE surprise to Maze, who never dreamed she’s make it to Heaven to begin with.

They could keep the parts where Chloe and Amenadiel work toward cleaning up the LAPD… and we definitely need to hear Tom sing more… a lullaby to his baby… childhood songs when they’re older and of course, show him teaching them the piano and guitar… of course we must have full blown staged musical numbers… maybe have him sing softly to Chloe as she’s sleeping… and/or as she’s dying… it could be amazing. And I loved Bob the Drag Queen… Lux should bring the RuPaul Review and enjoy several of them… they put on a great show!

One more thing... we NEED a making-love scene with Lucifer holding Chloe in his arms while flying! Wings covering everything important, of course, but it is obvious what they’re doing! Joining the mile-high club! How about on the wedding night?!? Whooohooo!!!!! (If Chloe isn’t already pregnant when this wedding night flight happens, maybe this is when Rory is conceived???)

There’s enough there for a movie or about a dozen more episodes of the show... This is only an outline, but but I could write stories myself for some of these ideas… hell, they practically write themselves. Anyway, THAT’S how I would outline a Movie: Lucifer: Revelations… or Lucifer Season 6.66!!!

Now... let’s get busy and do it different this time (with no time travel nonsense and no sadistic torturing DECKERSTAR)! LOL

[leswansong]

(Late) Ladynoir July: When Tomorrow Comes

Day Seven: Lucky Charm

[ A03 ]

Word Count: 5K+

AN: What's this? A new Chapter less than a week than the last? Hope you guys enjoy this speedy update!

            Marinette groaned at the pounding headache she had awoken too, her eyes struggled to focus on something within her darkened room. Light slowly floated into the room, her eyes slowly started to focus on the small little dust particles that drifted through the rays of sunlight, she struggled to recall what had happened the night before, she cursed herself for drinking so much the night before so that she couldn’t remember that night. Marinette groaned again and shakily pulled herself out of bed and stumbled over to one of her windows to pull the curtain open, a decision she regretted instantly as the light caused her headache to grow ten times worse. She let out a yelp at the sudden pain drawing a concerned red Kwami towards her, she waved the small creature away and muttered something along the lines of ‘I'm fine’ to her before heading over to her small dressing table to get ready for the day.

            She stared at her reflection in the small, somewhat cloudy mirror, she had forgotten to remove the very little amount of makeup she had put on the night before to help blend her mask to her face better, at least she had remembered to take that off as it was sitting on the small table in front of her but the rest of the clothes she had gone out in still clung to her thin frame. She sighed to herself and started to brush her extremely matted hair, slowly she started to pull away at the large amount of knots that had managed to form in her hair overnight causing her to wince slightly from the sharp pains of her hairbrush pulling at them but it had to be done.

            She gently put down the wooden, horse-hair brush down on the table at turned around at the room, even though it was dark, she could still see the mess around her. It felt a little strange for her to be the only person in the room, she looked around at the remnants of Alya’s sisters visit on the floor around her, she was going to miss them but last night had provided the perfect cover for them to slip out as the guards attention were on the hundreds of people celebrating in the streets and not on the small suspicious family sneaking their way out of the gates. Alya was going to be back in a few weeks, her aunt was going to meet her halfway to pick up the younger girls so Alya could return to Paris. Marinette didn’t know why her best friend wanted to return to Paris, Marinette wanted nothing more than to escape it, she hated the constant fighting in the streets below her window that she could still hear but she knew that she couldn’t, she had a duty to the citizens to stop Hawkmoth and Chat to help him in stopping him.

            Marinette sighed and started picking up the small toys that had been left behind, a doll here, a small stuffed animal she had made them several years ago there and a few of their wooden blocks. She picked them all up and placed them in a small wicker basket leaving room for the addition of the view items of clothing they had left behind as well as the two skirts she hadn’t had the time to finish for them, she hoped that she would be able to send it to them but such a large item would prove difficult for her but it was something that she would like to do. She inspected the small doll she had picked up and smiled, she remembered making it for Ella for Christmas when she herself was fourteen. Marinette placed it in the basket with all the others before she pushed it towards a nearby wall.

            She picked up another basket and headed down the steps below, today was washing day, she probably had hundreds of baskets waiting for her downstairs, all of them had to be hand washed and hung out to dry before she got to work on mending any new tears in the fabric. She walked down the last few steps and let out a defeated sigh at the sight of the twenty-plus baskets in the entry hall, reluctantly she pulled up her sleeves and picked up another basket before heading to the small laundry room to get to work.

-x-

            He descended the large steps quickly and down the large hallway towards the tall green trees and purple and blue flowers as well as the large brown coffin that he had regretfully placed her within… He paused in front of her and placed his hand upon her casket, his wedding ring let out a muted ring against it and he let out a sigh before moving away from it, he had a job to do.

            His high priced shoes he was wearing echoed in the large open room, it reminded him how alone he was in his own home, the white butterflies around him were his only company. He raised his finger and one landed atop it, he couldn’t feel the delicate creatures weight but he knew it was there. It spread its wings and returned to the kaleidoscope of butterflies floating around him. He headed into the centre of the room, the early morning light was twisted into light purples and blue on the floor around him. Gabriel’s eyes narrowed at the large stained glass window, its frames were in the shape of a butterfly, it had been his wife's idea, the thought of her brought a smile to his face.

            He knew what he was about to do, his first ten Akuma’s had failed but then again, he wasn’t exactly trying, he just needed to know how the cat and bug worked and he now knew that. They were inexperienced with their Miraculous but the Cat, going by Chat Noir, was a skilled swordsman, he had years of training under their belt, Gabriel needed to see just how skilled this… boy was. He knew exactly what Akuma to send out today to test the boy’s skill and hopefully, the Akuma will be more skilled than the Cat eared hero, once Chat Noir was defeated his unskilled partner should be easy to take down, he would squish her like the annoying little bug she was.

            He looked down at the locket in his hand, it was his own lucky charm, the small painted portraits of his wife and son sat within; they were the reason he was doing this and he was going to bring them back. this silly revolution had taken almost everything from him but he wasn’t going to let it take them, not while he still had the Miraculous. He was going to do everything he could to bring his family back to him and restore order to France, the people were going to stay in their respective classes just as they always had been.

            He pulled the small box out of his pocket and opened it to reveal the pointy winged butterfly Miraculous, he carefully pinned it to his shirt and waited. The wave of emotions that washed over him were… awful, many were happy and hopeful, some were downhearted and sad, none of which were particularly strong for his desired Akuma. He needed a different emotion, one that was strong and full of uncontrollable rage, one that wanted to destroy everything around them. He closed his eyes and searched the sea of people, he tried once again searching for his son in that large ocean, he searched in the hope that he would find him and bring him home, so that his boy would be safe by his side but there was no sign of him, if he was still alive he must be out of his reach, a hopeful thought.

            He turned his search elsewhere to a stronger emotion that was only just emerging, they were perfect, he had never sent his Akuma after a person feeling disappointment and humiliation before he hoped that this one would prove… useful. A sinister smile tugged at his lips as he called one of the many silk white-winged butterflies down to him, he imbued it full of all negative information it needed for it to turn into the perfect Akuma, before sending it off into the streets of Paris in search of its perfect victim. He waited patiently in the large dark room for the black butterfly to find its target, he bit back the laugh that threatened to erupt out of his throat, today was going to be a great day…

-x-

            Ladybug, she was a wonderful ray of sunlight and it was very hard to focus on the rather annoyed Akuma when she was around. Her bright bluebell eyes that were able to bring life to the darkest of souls, and her hair that was darker than those souls. She was brave, intelligent, heroic, then again that last one was kinda part of the job but more than anything, she was perfect even with all her flaws. The way she had stood up to Hawkmoth when he tried to turn the very scared and confused Parisians around them against them was what originally drew him to her but that soon evolved into something more, he knew he was in love with her, her irresistible laugh just everything about her.

            He tried not to stare at her as she ran across the rooftops in front of him, he hadn’t meant to take his eyes off the Akuma but he couldn’t stop himself from greeting his Lady when she arrived, now they had to try and track down Darkblade before he got what he wanted. What that was, Adrien didn’t know, he had been a little too busy matching his old fencing instructor blade for blade. He wondered what his old teacher had done to deserve his fate, although it had been years since he had seen the slim man, he found it odd and a little hard to believe that the man that he had never seen angry or even a little bit upset had been Akumatized, something had to have caused the calm man to turn but what?

            Monsieur D’Argencourt was highly skilled and Adrien enjoyed his time with the older man, the task of trying to beat the better, stronger swordsmen was a thrilling one, each time he would learn something new from him, something that would help aid him in the next time he would face the older man only for the swordsmen to pull something else out of his bag of tricks for Adrien to learn. It kept what would normally be a boring lesson interesting and it helped him prepare for when he faced an actual fight against someone more skilled than he was. Adrien had been rather disappointed that he hadn’t been able to finish his lessons with him but he kept practising every day until the day came that he would return to the large gymnasium but he had accepted years ago that it would never happen.

            Slowly Adrien came to a stop behind Ladybug, she was inspecting something on her yo-yo as he took a few steps towards the edge of the roof, the heartbreaking sight slowly came to view. His eyes struggled to locate something to look at, the hoards of citizens that had been turned into Darkblade's loyal knights stood in the small square in front of Notre Dame and the bumpy roads leading up to the feared Palais De Justice. They stood shoulder to shoulder with their tall, heavy, green bladed axes reaching proudly towards the blue sky above them; a twinge of regret washed over him at the sight and his leather cat ears atop his head droop as well. Ladybug slowly approached the edge of the rooftop beside him, he felt Ladybug grow increasingly more and more upset beside him as she took in the sight of the square, making him feel even worse. He wanted nothing more than to crawl into the deepest darkest hole to hide his shame.

            She let out a sigh before returning to sneaking across the rooftops, she had noticed that Darkblade wasn’t among the countless turned Parisians in the street below. He silently followed a few paces behind her, he didn’t dare ask or beg her for her forgiveness yet, not until the threat had been defeated.

            They headed towards the direction the knights were facing, Palais De Justice, an old home to the former Kings and Queens of France and the new home of the feared Tribunal, even he hoped he would never meet the people who governed it, they oversaw the sentencing of the people who would meet the sharpened blade of the guillotine. Once they had decided your fate there was no way to escape it, you were going to die, maybe it was before you even saw the tall wooden platform that the dreaded blade sat atop but there was no escaping it, your fate was sealed. Adrien didn’t know how many people he had grown up seeing at parties had faced the Tribunal, he hoped it wasn’t a high number and hoped it was the low low number of zero but he wouldn’t bet his life on it.

            They slowly approached a small church that sat outside the grand building, Ladybug threw her yo-yo towards one of the peaks of the bell towers and swung herself towards the small rocky roof beside it. He followed her and landed silently on the uneven tiles, behind her. From the rooftop, the taller bell towers of the Sainte-Chapelle loomed tall into the sky, his eyes followed the even taller spire into the blue sky where a dark cloud was starting to form, they were definitely in the right place.

            “So…” he trailed off, “How do you want to do this?”

            His eyes narrowed and he scanned the large, closed steel gates. The people who were normally camped out in front of those gates watching were strangely missing leaving the area silent without their demanding cries.

            “Where would you say he gets his powers from?” Ladybug asked, she too was scanning the empty courtyards.

            He frowned to ponder her question, “His… His sword, I guess…” he replied sounding a little unsure.

            She nodded in response, “We need to get to it then, if it is where he gets his powers is of course then its most likely the transformed Item,” she explained.

            He nodded his head before turning to look at her, he took a deep breath and let the word soup flow out of his mouth. “Ladybug… I’m sorry, I- I shouldn’t have let him out of my sight, none of this would have-”

            She smiled sweetly at him causing him to stop in his tracks. “Don’t be Chaton.” she whispered, his heart leapt at the new nickname, she continued, “I might have been a little upset that he got away from you but I know you didn’t let him.” She placed her hand on his shoulder in support and his feelings of guilt slowly melted away at the slightest sign of affection.“So? You ready?” she asked, drawing his attention back from the small daydream that had started to play inside his head. He looked over and noticed her yo-yo was swinging rapidly beside her as she prepared to throw it towards the chapel’s bell towers.

            He nodded and watched her yo-yo launch across the large gap, it wrapped itself around the strong brickwork and Ladybug gave it one sharp tug before swinging across, leaving him to follow her like the lost kitten he was, he was so in love with that girl...

-x-

            Marinette landed awkwardly on the chapel roof, she spread her arms out to try and balance herself out, her eyes looked up at the steadily growing void black clouds above her, she did not doubt that it would soon cover and all of France by the rate it was growing. She felt her hands shake slightly from the fear slowly rising with her, she had no idea what this Akuma wanted or what his powers were. From the brief overview she had gotten when she arrived, he was skilled with the long greatsword Hawkmoth had gifted him and had almost beaten her incredibly skilled partner in a one on one fight although she knew that Chat would never admit to that.

            Her eyes scanned the rooftops, they were covered in the green, axe-wielding knights that had been turned but she saw no sign of the red, sword-wielding one they were looking for. She frowned and turned towards her partner as he landed beside her, he too was confused as to where the Akuma had gone, the only option was that the Akuma had headed into the building. She dreaded the thought of searching all of the rooms and corridors below her for it, she sighed and continued across the tall pointy rooftops in search of Darkblade but of course, there was no sign of the dreaded knight.

            Slowly she started to lose hope of ever finding the Akuma, she had run back and forth across the rooftop several times looking for the metal-clad Akuma so many times she was starting to grow dizzy at all the turning. She froze in place and looked up towards the sky, the growing black cloud was still growing, her eyes followed it off into the horizon, the familiar blue was gone, it had been completely replaced by the horrible black void above her head. Marinette wanted nothing more than to give up at that moment, Hawkmoth knew that he had the upper hand with his Akuma hiding from the two heroes and Darkblade was showing his true power. Marinette didn’t know what would happen with the large black void above her but it was something bad, she didn’t want to see Darkblade's goal fulfilled but she was helpless in stopping him. She slowly she started to feel herself cry and she felt herself drop to her knees. She struggled to keep the tears back, now wasn’t the time for crying, she had to focus on the task in front of her.

            Chat moved to stand beside her, his clawed glove rested on her shoulder giving her some hope to cling to.

            “Its okay Bug… We’ll find him, I promise, we just need to look at this with a fresh set of eyes,” he explained.

            She nodded, “Yeah… Just… Where could he be?”

            “Maybe in the building below,” he offered with a shrug.

            She smiled and nodded again, “We won’t find him in time, that cloud… I don’t know what will happen when it reaches across France but I- I really don’t want to find out…”

            He nodded, “Maybe I… Should…” He raised his hand indicating that he was referring to his power.

            She frowned, “Maybe… But you know-”

            “It’ll take a lot out of you, yeah, that's why I haven’t done it yet.”

            She sent him a small but sad smile.

            Sending out the cure took a lot out of her even when it was a small amount of damage, she had at first tried to hide it from Chat, she didn’t want him to worry but soon it started to take her toll on her. The large wind and storm damage Stormy Weather had caused had started Chat’s suspicions as he watched her limp away from the fight when he hadn’t seen her get hurt during the fight and the next Akuma, The Bard, she couldn’t remember their Akumatized name only that they were an upset popular street performer had been her ultimate undoing, everyone had been reverted back to the way they had been previously and there wasn’t going to be a repeat of the story she heard when she was younger where people had danced themselves to death but the sheer number of people the bard had turned was too much for her, she had collapsed after the cure had done its job and couldn’t bring her weak legs together long enough for her to stand so she had been forced to admit to Chat what was really going on.

            They were now really careful on what they destroyed and a building would certainly be one of the things that would push their luck.

            Chat held his hands down to her to pull her to her feet, she gladly took them and with one sharp and skill full tug, her feet were once again standing atop the roof tiles.

            “So Bugaboo? Ready to search inside?”

            She closed her eyes as a soft breeze brush against her face, “Yeah Chat lets go.”

-x-

            Marinette looked down at her Lucky Charm, she had no idea what to do with the sabre, she knew Chat would but he was currently engaged in a sword fight against the Akuma they were trying to defeat. Her eyes frantically searched the room looking for something, anything to use against the steel-clad Akuma before they landed back on the heavy sword in her hands, she sighed as she considered the stupid thought that crossed her mind before closing her eyes and accepting her fate. Her eyes reopened and she raised the heavy sword, she had no idea how to hold it or even wield it but she needed a distraction so Chat could either snatch the sword or use his ability on it, whatever worked, they just needed the sword destroyed.

            “Darkblade!” she yelled drawing the Akuma’s attention, “I challenge you to a duel,” her voice was a little shaky towards the end of her sentence but she tried to stay strong.

            The Akuma turned sharply towards her and smirked, “I accept,” he hissed back before charging at her.

            The Akuma was clearly extremely skilled, Marinette was constantly trying to defend herself from his fast attacks, he was pushing her closer and closer towards the unsteady roof tiles near the edge of the roof, she was losing ground quickly, he was pushing her back two steps with every swing of his greatsword; she had no idea how she was managing to parry his strikes but she was. Her eyes frantically looked around for her partner, he was slowly sneaking up beside the distracted Akuma, she pulled her eyes off of him as quickly as she could but Darkblade had noticed. He turned his head towards her partner causing the Cat to freeze, Marinette saw her opening and quickly wrapped her yo-yo around the blade, she had seen what the sword did with one touch and she didn’t want to join the hundreds of people around her. With the yo-yo wrapped tightly around the giant blade she stomped her foot down on the loosely hanging string pulling the sword from the Knights had and sending it to the floor where it broke into a thousand little pieces, the black butterfly rose from the ashes like a phoenix.

Marinette let the Akuma float up into the sky above her a little bit before she threw her yo-yo to catch it, an action she had repeated so many times already that it was starting to burn itself into her brain. Her yo-yo sprang open releasing the purified white butterfly into the cloud above her. Her eyes returned to the now kneeling Akuma, his Akumatized form had disappeared leaving a tall, thin as well as confused man with a moustache in its place. She sent him a saddened smile before helping him to his feet, he hung his head in shame and started towards the guards that were going to help him off the roof and would assist in helping him escape the mob that would try and kill him once they found out who had been the one to cause so much damage.

            Chat walked up beside her and looked down at the sabre in her hands, she spotted a smirk form across his lips out of the corner of her eyes, “You know... I could teach you how to use that, it might be useful in a fight,” he offered.

            She too looked down at the spotted hilted and silver bladed weapon, “Maybe one day…” she replied.

            He nodded and she let out a sigh, “I don’t know how much it's going to take out of me…” her voice trailed off.

            “I know bug… I’m here..”

            She smiled and nodded before taking a few short steps towards the edge of the rooftop, she liked watching the small little bugs working their way across the city fixing the damage that had been caused even if she hated the feeling of her slowly growing weaker and weaker from it. She took a deep breath and called the words, releasing the large swarm of small little bugs over the city, she felt its effects almost instantly and her legs wanted to collapse underneath her, the words of encouragement Tikki had told her replayed in her head, her body will get used to it, in time, she just needed… time…

-x-

            Slowly he moved to stand beside her, the small ribbons in her hair floated gently in the wind, the hundreds and thousands of Ladybugs worked their way through the streets, a lot of people had been turned, more than they had seen, he was concerned as his partner was slowly growing slightly weaker beside him and slowly she started to sneak over closer to him so she could use him as support and so she didn’t look weak in front of anyone. A crowd of people gathered underneath them shouting their praises towards the two heroes, he smiled down towards them and waved but Ladybug didn’t, she did smile at them but her eyes were fixed on the horizon, towards the large and what seemed like an endless forest of trees.

            “Ladybug?” he called, snapping her out of her spell, “Are you okay?”

            “Do you-” she cut herself off and shook her head, “nevermind…” she muttered.

            His smile dropped slightly and he stopped waving at the crowd below to turn towards her, “What is it Bug?”

            Her own smile dropped, “Do you ever wish that this…” she trailed off, “I don’t know how to explain what I’m trying to say… But, the fighting among the people, the constant squabbling over every little thing, do you ever wish that it would all end.”

            He frowned, “Honestly, I- I-” a sigh escaped his lips, “I don’t even know why there… was a revolution…” his voice got quieter and quieter with each word, resulting in her asking him to repeat himself in a louder voice. Reluctantly he did and in a much clearer voice, “I don’t even know why the Revolution is even happening…”

            His eyes met the floor and he waited for her to laugh at him, he had tried to find out what had caused the king to lose his head, why his home had been stormed. He knew the Tribunal had control of who was going to face the blade but he didn’t know why they were going to meet that fate. Stray newspapers weren’t all that helpful, they only held a small part of the full story, and he had yet to find someone to fully explain to the very sheltered him what had happened to the world he had known.

            But Ladybug didn’t, he watched her face turn into one of sadness then one full of concern. Silently she grabbed ahold of his wrist and pulled him away from the large and still growing crowd below them, he followed without question, he didn’t know where they were going but soon he realised that they were heading towards those large green forests. She pulled his baton from his back and handed it to him, he knew they would be going quite far because she waited for him to bend his legs for her to jump onto his back, something that she didn’t do often but something he didn’t mind, especially because he now knew what calling the cure did to her, he was surprised that she had been able to go so far without collapsing but he definitely didn’t want to push her to that. He waited a few seconds for her to get comfortable before he extended his baton. They moved slowly at first as it took them several short strides to build up the momentum that they needed to make a speedy getaway, but soon the wind was rushing past their ears as they moved past the last several buildings before they vaulted over the wall and into the trees.

            Adrien continued on a little bit further before they came to a stop. He helped Ladybug across to one of the large tree limbs for her to stand on before he clambered onto the branch after her where she pulled him down to sit on the branch next to her. They watched the trees sway side to side slightly from the soft breeze, the leaves rustled against each other blocking out most of the loud sounds from the busy city just a few short leaps away. Adrien had forgotten how quiet the world was, living in Paris for so long had certainly taken its toll, visits to the family summer home had completely disappeared when the Revolution had started, he missed that place, the large lake, the birds and the annual hunt he would go on, everything he considered normal.

            Ladybug let out another sigh, "How have you…”

            “My father, he locked me inside the house when my mother… that was a few years before… but it got worse when the fighting started, I wasn’t allowed to even go out to the garden…” he trailed off and he realised that he had said too much.

            He was surprised at how much information she had managed to wiggle out of in such a short amount of time, the night before she had paid for drink after drink for the two of them, each time he got slightly drunker and got him to offer up more and more information. He thought he was smart with how he was able to wiggle information out of her but she was proving to be a god at it.

            “So…” she trailed off, “How much do you know about what happened?”

            He shrugged, “All the recent stuff… about a week or so before the first Akuma but nothing else.”

            “Really?” she replied sounding surprised, “I guess I have a lot to fill you in with then…”

            Adrien didn’t like the sound of that, he wondered just how much he had been stopped from seeing throughout the years. He adjusted how he was sitting and prepared for the history lesson she was about to give him.

            “So…” she started while biting back a yawn, the cure was really starting to get to her, “It all started with…”

Made for @ladynoirjuly2019

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[thewhiterabbit42]

The Unexpected

Pairing: Gabriel x Reader

Word Count:  3710

Summary:  You disappear in the middle of the night, causing the Winchesters and Gabriel to worry what’s wrong.

Warnings/Tags:  Established relationship.  Human Gabriel.  Some angst.  

Written for:  @Key–lime–pie and @tricksterxangel and @gabriel-monthly-challenge​ Prompts:  “I’m pregnant.”  / “Just talk to me.”   January GMC statement prompt:   It was going to be an adventure and, though he didn’t know it yet, life would never be the same.

Author’s note: For some reason I thought someone requested “Just talk to me.” With Gabriel but now can’t find the ask so if I lost it… apologies.  If I made that up then… extra prompt.  

Also, this is my first time using a statement prompt from GMC without it being verbatim so I hope I still did it correctly.

Beta’d by: @sumara62 (many thanks my dear!)  I went in and added several things after she took a look, so chances are any mistakes are still mine lol

“Open the door, y/n,” Dean demanded, pounding heavily beneath the faded number seven with the side of his hand.  

“Please open the door, y/n,” Sam echoed, and his brother resisted the urge to roll his eyes.  As if please was somehow the the mystical password they needed to gain admittance after they’d been standing there for over a half-hour trying every trick in their book to get you to let them in.  

“I know this has to do with Gabriel,” Dean continued.  “If he’s done something –”

“Why do you always assume the worst of him?”  You screeched and for the first time that evening, he was glad there was a semi-solid piece of wood standing between them and you.  It was never a good sign when you bypassed pissed and went straight into banshee mode, and whatever was wrong must have been big.  “He didn’t do anything!  This is my fault –”  You stopped short, a thick silence falling for a few moments before you finished in a much quieter tone, “And I just need you to go.”

“Whatever it is, we can help,” Sam offered after a few moments.  

“Not with this, you can’t.  Go home.  I just need some time.”  You sounded tired, almost defeated, both of which only had them exchanging a worried glance.  Dean inclined his head toward the Impala and they both began to move away from the motel door.  Neither of them spoke until they were near the trunk, their voices hushed as they tried to figure out what to do.  

“We should call him,” Sam insisted.  

His brother folded his arms over his chest and shook his head.  “Considering I’m ninety-percent sure he’s the reason for all this?  Not happening.”  

“Did you hear her, Dean?  She’s scared, and clearly we’re not going to be the ones she lets in that door,” the younger man implored.  

“So we bust it down.”  Simple.  Effective.  Just how he liked his plans.  

Sam just looked at him as if he’d gone crazy, before remembering that was just how his brother had always been.  “Yeah, let me know how that goes.  I’m going to do what we should have the moment we found her and get Gabriel here.”   

…

He’d flown as fast as he could the moment he knew where you were.  Not literally, of course.  Those days were well behind him.  Even if Metatron hadn’t clipped all their wings by shutting the gates of Heaven, the vial of ethereal golden liquid that hung around his neck was an ever present reminder of all that he had been and all that he now was.  

He always kept his grace close to him, in case things ever hit the fan more than normal and he should need it.  He also found it innately comforting, the essence humming with an energy he never recognized as being anything but his own being.  It was strange in some ways, having it removed, and though it had taken a while to find his footing without it, every moment he spent as human had been entirely worth it.  

The decision to fall had been startlingly easy once he realized staying an archangel would only limit his experiences with you.  He wanted to know what it felt like to fall asleep beside you and wake up to you the following day.  Not to mention it was a little difficult to be pleasured awake by someone when one never slept.  Not that it stopped you from trying.  

He wanted the passing of time to be the same for each of you.  As an angel, it was meaningless, and he had often been unable to keep track of how long he’d been gone.  He grew tired of disappointing you when what had felt like a few days turned out to be weeks.  He couldn’t stand to see you slowly wilting beneath your worry and insecurities the longer he happened to stay away.  

He wanted to know what it was like to sweat with you, to bleed with you, to have an appreciation for every moment because life was short and finite.  Mostly, he wanted to have a life with you.  A real one.  One you both could share.  One you both understood.  One that kept you both out of Heaven’s eternal issues and off of Hell’s radar.  

Apparently being an archangel’s main squeeze gave angels and demons alike all sorts of stupid ideas that resulted in them dead and he, Sam, and Dean finding one subject to bond over.    

Sure, being a hunter meant you’d never completely be off the grid, but he’d found that sticking near the Winchesters had actually improved your chances of surviving.  In fact, he owed them more than they knew (not that he’d ever admit it to them) for keeping you alive at a time he couldn’t, as a human or one of Heaven’s greatest weapons.  

Then again, they were partially responsible for releasing dear old Auntie Amara from her cage to begin with.

He wasn’t sure how many laws he broke getting to you, only that he was incredibly lucky he didn’t get caught for any of them.  The last time he’d had to phone anyone to get bailed out, Dean had nearly put him on lockdown.  He could only imagine what the man would do now.  Probably drive him out to the middle of nowhere and leave his ass behind for the elements and wildlife to take care of.  

He wondered if he deserved it.  

He couldn’t think of anything he’d done, but that didn’t mean much.  Over a millenia of experience, and still there were times he found himself floundering to know what to do or say.  He couldn’t keep track of how many messes he’d made, actual or otherwise, and yet, every time you’d be there to help him clean it up and learn from it.  

This was the first time you’d ever run.  

The closer he came to the address he’d been given, the more his nerves thrummed inside of him.  He had never been more frightened than he had over the last twenty-four hours.  He barely slept, his mind creating an endless list of possibilities of what could have caused you to take off so suddenly, none of which were comforting, and he was never more aware of human vulnerabilities and limitations than he was thinking of all the horrible things that could be happening.  

By the time he actually reached the motel he was a mess.  His palms were sweating, the leather from his gloves sticking uncomfortably to his skin.  His motorcycle gear was light for this time of year, but it probably saved him from being a sopping tangled ball of stress instead of just a regular one.  He could barely keep his hands from shaking as he pulled off his helmet, setting it on the seat of his motorcycle before he made his way to where Sam and Dean stood.  

“Where is she?” He demanded, unable to keep the fear from bleeding through his tone.  

“Number seven,” Sam said, and the look he gave the former archangel was a mixture of concern and sympathy.  

Dean, however, fixed him with stern look.  “She said it wasn’t your fault, but if I find out that it was, I have no problems putting a bullet in you.”

If it was as bad as Gabriel imagined and his fault, he’d have no problem letting the man do just that.  

Sam shook his head slightly, eyes rolling briefly to the sky before landing back on the former angel.  “We’ll be out here if you need us.”  He pushed off the hood, giving his brother a meaningful look before getting into the car.  Dean followed suit, but not before pulling back his jacket and motioning to the guns strapped to each side of his hip and his face spoke volumes.  Specifically, your choice which one.

Gabriel sighed, his head turning toward your hotel room.  The curtains were drawn across the window, but he could tell there weren’t any lights on inside.  He doubted you were sleeping, however.  Neither of you could much when the other wasn’t there.    

He made his way over, everything inside him clamoring to a fever pitch.  His heart hammered in his chest, his emotions squeezing tightly and adding to the stress on it.  He swallowed as he raised his hand and knocked, only to be greeted by silence.  

“Sweetheart?”  He called, doing his best to keep the alarm and uncertainty from his voice.  “It’s me.”

When he heard a second round of nothing, he knocked again, his other hand unconsciously moving to his chest.  His fingers worried over the small bump beneath his jacket create by his grace.  If only he had even a tiny ounce of it inside of him, he’d have far more answers than he did now.  

“Open the door, sugar.  Whatever it is, we can figure this out,” he insisted.  Your silence was killing him, the unknown more terrifying than anything he had ever faced before.  He had never needed to know so badly what it was you were feeling at that moment.  Were you angry?  Sad?  Scared?  Were you even alone?

The final thought was heart-stopping, and it was all he could do to keep from channeling his inner Dean and simply taking back his grace so he could know you were safe.  

“Honey, please,” he begged, his own own desperation spilling out through his words. “Just talk to me.”

He leaned his head against the door, eyes slipping shut, and for the first time since he’d fallen, he wished that he hadn’t.  Because no matter how many times Sam had assured him you were ok, he couldn’t believe it, not until he heard it from you.  Even then, he’d need to set eyes on you to fully accept it as truth, but if he had his grace, he’d be able to tell everything, from the state of your mind to how fast or slow your heart was beating… if it even still was.   

Metal rattled near his head from the other side of the door, and his head popped up.  He could hear a chain sliding across a track before a jarring click sounded from the deadbolt.  He stepped back, his eyes dropping to the doorknob.  His pulse quickened, his mouth suddenly dry.  He swallowed, trying to tamp down on his emotions as he reached for the handle.  It turned with little resistance, and he could hear his heart hammering in his ears as he pushed his way inside.  

He found you sitting in the darkness, the only light source a faded, almost orange glow from an outdated nightlight in the bathroom.  You were sitting on the bed, your legs pulled up to your chest with your head resting on your knees.  He didn’t have to see your face to know you’d been crying.  He couldn’t smell the salt anymore or taste your emotions on the air, but he still knew.  He just wished he could see you, or anything, so he could better assess the situation.  

“Hey,” he greeted, his eyes sweeping the room before he made his way to you.  “I know we have a lot to talk about, but the boys were wondering if we were still on for the game later?”

He sat down beside you, putting himself on the far side of the bed.  It kept you closer to the nearest exit, if needed, as he waited for you to respond to the code the four of you had worked out to subtly tip each other off to danger.  

“No one else is here,” you murmured, taking a moment to clear your nose.  

He let out a breath, relieved, before reaching over and turning on the light.  Worry immediately flooded him anew as he took in your features.  You looked terrible.  You pallor was off, your skin pale save for a slight flush in your cheeks.  You looked exhausted, though the circles beneath your eyes were faint in comparison to what you often looked like coming off a case.  This was a different kind of tired, one he had never seen before, and it only furthered the suspicion that something was terribly wrong.  

He pried your hands away from where they were hugging your legs, taking your fingers between his.  You closed your eyes, tears peeking through your lashes, and the tightness returned to his chest.  “What’s going on, y/n?”

He didn’t want to ask too many questions, although he had plenty of them at this point.  Why had you run?  Why had you shut them all out?  What could he have done that would make you think you couldn’t come to him?  

“I’m sorry,” you breathed, your voice growing thick as your emotions swelled to the surface.  “I shouldn’t have left, but I - I found something out and I panicked.”

His brows drew together as he tried to fathom what information could possibly make you, of all people, lose your head.  Sure, he had his share of questionable history, but he was fairly certain he’d told you everything important.  Then again, there was centuries worth of it, and Kali hadn’t been the only immortal still kicking around that he shared something with.

The look on your face suggested it wasn’t a simple matter of who or what he had dated.   This went beyond mere information.  

“Whatever it is, we can figure it out.  Together.”  He reached forward, brushing the tears from your cheek.  “Remember what you told me in Tulsa when I went behind your back and had the boys clear that vampire nest instead of you?”

If the sudden sharpness in your stare wasn’t a good indication you were still a little salty about that incident, what came next certainly was.  “That I would kick your ass back to the dawn of time if you ever tried anything like that again?”

Technically, he’d deserved the snappy remark, though the ass-kicking was debatable considering he had done it because you’d been pushing yourself too hard and he was worried you weren’t at your best.  He realized now, though, it had been less about him calling in reinforcements and more about him doing it without your knowledge.  

“There is no ‘I’ in team,” he corrected, unable to keep from adding, “And I would also like to point out, nowhere in there will you also find ‘vanish’ or ‘run’ or –”

“‘Take off in the middle of the night and give your boyfriend a heart attack’?” You guessed.  The minute you glanced up at him with sheepish, watery eyes, he immediately softened again, realizing his own anxieties were getting the better of him.  

“I mean it,” he continued, his voice much gentler.  “You never have to run from me.  There’s nothing you could tell me that would ever make me break my promise that you and I are in it for good, sugar snap.”  

The look you gave him said you wanna make a bet? And for the third time in less than a day, he felt like he might be on the verge of heart failure.  “Gabriel… I’m pregnant.”

He’d been wrong.  This time he felt an aneurysm coming on.  

“What?”  He breathed and the entire concept of how limited a human’s cognitive capacity could be hit him square in the face as he had everything in existence flying through his mind at the exact same moment everything drained out of it.  

He was vaguely aware his mouth was still open, that he might have even stopped breathing for a moment.  Mostly, he noticed the way you’d gone completely still, a sign that you were steeling yourself for whatever reaction he eventually had once everything came back online.

Unfortunately, it was not an intelligent one.

“I - but - how?”  

Your brow crept up and surprise shifted closer to exasperation when you looked like you were debating on leaving again if you seriously had to answer that question or laughing.  He wasn’t sure which would be worse.  

“I know how,” he huffed.  “I just - we’ve been so careful.”  

Frustratingly so.  Hunting didn’t exactly leave much room for scheduling appointments at a clinic for birth control or allow you a routine to use some of the more readily available forms, which left condoms as the only consistent option.  Giving up that luxury had been harder than he imagined.  Thousands of years of never needing any had been a difficult habit to break.  

“Do you remember that night in Oklahoma when we got so drunk we took a cab to the wrong hotel, couldn’t figure out what the right one actually was, and ended up breaking into someone’s car so we had a place to sleep?”

He scratched the back of his head, eyes drifting up to the ceiling as he tried his best not only to remember something from that night, but to also figure out why in the world you’d even be mentioning it.  “I remember the part where we woke up to the angry owner of said car and spent the morning playing a countywide game of hide-and-seek with the police.  The, uh, rest of the night is kind of a little hazy.”

“I don’t think we just fell asleep there, Gabe, and I don’t think we came prepared either.”

He glanced back down to find you giving him a meaningful look.  “Oh,” he said and it took an extra moment for what you were saying to fully kick in.  “Oh.”  His brows shot up straight to his hairline.  Oh shit.  

“You’re sure?”  His question was just a formality.  You were thorough in your cases and there was no reason he’d believe you’d be any less meticulous when it came to confirming this.  

“Five tests and two weeks late sure,” you told him.  

To be honest, he was surprised you hadn’t hit up Cas on your way out, though there wasn’t much room to argue with any of the evidence you already had.  

“Ok.  You’re pregnant.  So… what do you want to do?”  He surprised himself with how calm he was.  His inner self was indeed wildly running around the room, arms flailing, because what did he know about having children?

You looked at him a moment, startled, as if that was the last thing you expected from him.  “I - I don’t know.  What do you want to do?”

He could tell by the manic edge in your gaze that your inner self had joined his, and both were in utter panic mode together.

He let out a slow breath, trying to push his own fears and uncertainties aside.  “Sweetheart, I am something that has lived for thousands of years with the knowledge that I was not meant to procreate.  I haven’t the slightest clue what to do with the idea of being a father.”  He realized it was the wrong thing to say, or at least to start with, by the way your eyes widened, your trepidation trickling out from the darks of them.  “Oh, wait, that - that’s not what I mean - I mean it is what I mean but…”  

Oh Father, please don’t panic.  Because the moment you did, he was sure to follow, if for no other reason than he had absolutely no idea what to do if it got to that point.

He released a slow breath, his eyes shutting tight while he pinched the bridge of his nose.  He took a moment to try and gather his thoughts, but they kept coming back to the same, familiar loop of he wasn’t good with these types of things.

A sudden tap on his forehead had him opening his eyes again and you gave him a small, tentative smile. “Reset.”

An amused puff of air left his nose.  It still amazed him how you could calm and refocus him with the simplest gestures, and he couldn’t help but smile back as everything that was important became clear to him.

“I love you,” he began, and reached up to cup the side of your face.  “I want a life with you.  Whatever that means. Kids.  No kids.  Attempting a nine-to-five existence in the suburbs.  Hunting until our trigger fingers get too stiff with arthritis and we can’t shoot anymore.  I don’t care what road we take or how we get to the end of our lives.  As long as that path has you on it, that’s all that matters.”

Your eyes welled up, overflowing with so many emotions, he couldn’t even begin to tease them all apart. “Do you really mean that?”

“Sugar plum, I became human for you.  Everything else should be a piece of cake.”  He didn’t know how he knew, but in that moment, there wasn’t anything he was more certain of.

“… including telling Dean?”

Correction:  the only thing more certain than what he just confessed was that Dean was going to put a bullet in a certain part of him for knocking up the closest thing the man and his giant kin had to a sister.  

“Maybe you should be the one to tell him you’re with child,” he suggested.

Your lips twitched.  “Really, Gabe?  With child?”

He arched a brow.  “Would you prefer I tell him you’re preggers?”

The smile you gave was equal parts amused and relieved.  “I can’t believe God made you his messenger.”

He leaned forward, stealing a short series of kisses that were slow and sweet, infused with the same tender sentiments that had inspired his words.  “Maybe, but you’re the one that keeps me around.”

Your legs drifted open, your arms reaching through to pull him between them.  “You know, there is a reason for that…”. You playfully bit his lower lip, eyes glinting with a sudden spark of mischief.  “And there is an upside to all this.”

“What’s that?”  He murmured, allowing you to pull him down into the mattress.  

“We don’t have to worry about getting me pregnant if I already am.”  You mimicked his trademark brow waggle and he chuckled.  He had always appreciated your ability to just get him, not to mention your tendency to try and keep things light.  He couldn’t imagine spending his existence with anyone else.  Whatever lay ahead would be unlike any journey he’d ever taken, and though he didn’t know it yet, life would never be the same.

GMC Tags:  @revwinchester @lacqueluster @archangel-with-a-shotgun and @ashiewesker 

ALL the tags:

@girl-next-door-writes @sumara62 @fand0maniac @feelmyroarrrr @omgreganlove @jannalionheart @baritonechick, @lucifer-in-leather @stone-met @blondecoffeecake  @raspberrypuddle @ourloveisforthelovely @the-moose-of-baskerville @crowley-you-sinnamon-roll @tistai @christinalibertymikaelson @room-with-a-cat @authoressskr @revwinchester @flufy07 @greieba @deaths-maiden @deanxfuckingadorablexwinchester

Gabe Squad:

@theblackenedsky @bloodstained-porcelain-doll @pepperwoodatnight @lacqueluster @samikitten @a-vast-african-plain @kazosa @carryon-wayward-winchester @nobodys-baby-now @dlb1999 @ludwigs-a-monster @archangelgabriellives @a-wing-and-a-pen @tricksterxangel @cipherwheeldecoder @amandaecrn @onlyanothersocialcasualty

[perditaalottachocolate-blog]

A Christmas Gabriel in Prose, Being a Ghost-Story of Christmas

Summary:  At Christmas Eve Hawkmoth gets an unexpected visit from demigods of creation and destruction, who warn him, that the path he chose will lead him astray. As Kwami of Christmas Past, Present and Yet-to-Come take him on a journey through time, he is confronted with consequences of his own choices. Will it be enough to save him? Inspired by A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

Read it on AO3 / fanfiction.net

This story is a Christmas gift for my friend Remasa, whom I've met on fanfiction.net, thanks to our fascination with Gabriel. Check out her fics when you have time, they are really good! A special thank you to @youcancallmecirce for beta-reading this. Her suggestions were most valuable! 

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Chapter 1. An unexpected visit

The butterfly rested calmly on the black glove. It fluttered its white wings, hypnotized by the honeyed voice whispering over its head. It didn't flee when another black glove moved over it and trapped it in leather darkness. It waited patiently to the tingling feeling of energy crawling up its legs. Little sparks of magic fell from its wings and discharged themselves on the walls of the tiny black space.

Then the upper glove was removed and the butterfly shook its wings experimentally. When they got trapped in the moving darkness, its sisters and brothers always came out purple. This time the butterfly's wings were pink. The insect took flight and started circling the enormous dome, waiting for the honeyed voice to tell it where to go. But instructions weren't coming. The pink, glittery butterfly was confused.

Hawkmoth stared at the strange akuma with a frown. Did he do something wrong? He felt the negative feelings of a possible champion. He concentrated on them. He poured his will and power into the butterfly, which would allow to establish a connection. Why wasn't it purple and black like usual? Maybe it was sick? Nooroo never said anything like that could happen. Then again, Nooroo wasn't exactly the most cooperative being Gabriel had encountered. Not since he learned about Gabriel's plan to acquire two main miraculouses.

The moth wielder raised his opened hand invitingly once again, hoping the akuma would come back, but it didn't. It fluttered in ragged circles under the roof, glittering in the scarce light of December afternoon.

Hawkmoth sighed. This was supposed to be a quick try. On Christmas Eve the mansion was for once more or less empty. Adrien went to visit his friends before Réveillon and the rest of the staff either took their day off or was engaged in dinner preparations. It was calm and quiet, perfect conditions to find some unpleasant feelings and send an akuma their way. And it would help him busy his thoughts with something else than her and the fact that yet another Christmas had come while he still hadn't brought her back.

A rustle of fabric roused him from his musings. He turned around to see a floating… something. It looked pretty much like a fruit bowl flying upside-down and covered with a white sheet. Had he been a four year old he might have thought this was a ghost. Then again, Gabriel had been a rather bright four year old so he probably wouldn't have been fooled even 40 years ago.

'What is the meaning of this?' He demanded. Was this Nathalie's prank? Impossible. She had no sense of humor whatsoever. It was actually one of the requirements for the job.

The flying fruit bowl cleared its throat and a tiny voice announced, 'Hawkmoth! Time has come for you to come to your senses!' The bowl must have acted as an amplifier because the voice had a distant echo it shouldn't have, being so tiny.

Then Gabriel heard another voice, whispering frantically.

'Really, Tikki?! That was your line!'

'Shutup, Plagg, you're ruining everything!'

The hushed whispering under the fruit bowl didn't seem in the least scary, but Hawkmoth felt unease nevertheless. He prided himself on the quality of the security system in his lair. It was impossible for anyone bar him or Nathalie to access it without raising alarm. Yet someone clearly managed to break through and was now throwing a show.

'Oh, believe me! You've already ruined it,' the whispering continued.

'Well, excuse me for trying to make something useful with your stupid ghost idea!'

More importantly, the pink butterfly decided to narrow its circles and hovered directly over the apparition.

'Who the hell are you?' Gabriel felt his patience growing extremely thin at the possibility of causing accidental fruit bowl akumatization. He had no idea if fruit bowls had feelings, but judging by the frantic exchange this one had plenty. He silently prepared his cane and angled it to touch the sheet.

The whispering had stopped, yet the ghostly bowl started to jerk and squeak instead; clearly an internal fight was happening under the glass dome. In one swift motion Hawkmoth wrapped the sheet over the tip of his cane and yanked it back. The fabric slid from what indeed turned out to be his own crystal fruit bowl, which usually stood in the leisure room. Two shapes hovered underneath, holding it aloft.

'Uh-oh,' the dark one with electric green eyes murmured, nudging his companion.

'What- oh,' the red shape replied. 'Hello, Hawkmoth,' it finished, bowing with dignity definitely too serious for such a small creature.

The moth wielder raised a brow, contemplating what to do. These were clearly two kwamis, close in size to Nooroo, and with similar tiny voices. The black one looked like a tiny cat with pointy ears, tail and whiskers. The red one was more bug-like, with a single black dot on her forehead and magnificent cerulean eyes. Judging by the coloring they had to be… they had to be the occupants of the jewels he was after.

Hawkmoth didn't waste time with useless rhetorical questions. He was already sure who he was dealing with.

'Why are you here?' he demanded. 'And could you put that fruit bowl gently on the floor?' he added with a wince, 'It is valuable.'

He observed the crystal piece as it drifted to the ground, still upside down. Were those two kwami so dumb, they would trap themselves underneath? Just in case, he came closer and was about to press his hand to the bowl when red and black dashes phased through the glass with a tinkle and zipped to his eye level. Could Nooroo perform that trick too? That matter would have to be investigated further, when this nuisance is over.

'Gabriel,' the red kwami bowed again and he had to suppress a gasp at hearing his civilian name. 'I am Tikki and this is Plagg,' she pointed to her black companion floating silently beside her. 'I can see you've already figured out who we are.'

Hawkmoth nodded stiffly in acknowledgement. When he offered nothing more in reply, his guest wiped the friendly smile from her features and stared at him with concern.

'We came to warn you,' she stated solemnly, while the flying cat glared at him so intently, Gabriel felt shivers down his spine. 'Your quest is not going to bring you solace, but more suffering.' She took a deep breath and wanted to continue, but the other kwami chose this moment to interject.

'What you're doing is wrong,' the black cat waved an accusatory paw at him, 'and it will bite you on your stiff purple butt!' he spat. Could the fact that the green-eyed sprite seem co crossed with him when the the red one remained so calm and composed, serve as further confirmation of his suspicions about Adrien? Or was the black cat just bad tempered and generally hostile towards him as an enemy?

Hawkmoth almost cackled at the ridiculousness of the little kwami's rage, but he stopped himself in time. Were these two even serious? What could they possibly do to him without their holders and jewels?

'My goals and my means are my own business,' he said doing his best to keep the sinister lilt contained. After all the one calling herself Tikki was polite towards him, and Gabriel was a gentleman. 'I can assure you there is a greater good that will result from my mission. I don't have to explain myself to you.'

'A little respect for older creatures wouldn't hurt,' the one name Plagg chided sending him another venomous glare.

'You can't know the future', Hawkmoth shrugged. He wasn't going to let them get to him, doubt himself or question his mission. He knew what he was doing and what the stakes were.

'On the contrary,' the red kwami shook her bulbous head. 'Kwami are millennia old. You'd be surprised by what we've already seen and what we can extrapolate from that,' she stated matter-of-factly and Gabriel saw the sad certainty of her claim in the dim blue eyes.

'Been there, done that,' her companion piped in. Not for the first time tonight Hawkmoth was under the impression that these two talked like they were one being, interjecting or finishing each other's thoughts, translating them into phrases that they hoped he would understand. Well, he was still confident they didn't understand him. If they knew his reasons, they wouldn't be like that.

'This time it's different-' the moth wielder countered and faltered under the black sprite's deadpan look.

'You humans like to say that a lot,' the red bug sighed, disappointment marring her features. 'You all think you're so exquisite, special, but the end is always the same.'

'"I didn't mean that",' the black kwami whined in a mocking tone. He was looking straight at Gabriel. '"I didn't want that", "Please make it not happen!"' he ended with emphasis. His eyes hardened even further as if recalling other times when he has been on the receiving end of that line. 'Well guess what! Kwami are not like genies. What happens, stays happened!'

'But Ladybug's Lucky Charm-' Hawkmoth tried to interrupt them again.

'Yeah, yeah, it reverts the direct damage caused by an akuma,' Plagg dismissed him with a flick of his paw as if Gabriel was a school kid that got a question wrong.

'But only physical damage,' again the red sprite picked up her companion's thought, but with much more calm and patience. 'It can't change the heart, it can't clear memories, it can't create better ones. It can't heal what's already broken.'

'And there's always a price,' the flying cat added. 'And I don't even mean the price that comes with using our joined miraculouses,' Hawkmoth furrowed his brow at this unexpected and new bit of information, 'but the mundane small price that you unknowingly pay every time you release another akuma.'

'You are going to regret this all,' the one named Tikki repeated her warning.

Even if she was nothing but patient and well mannered, Hawkmoth still wasn't used to being caught in a crossfire of accusations and reproofs. 'Is that why you're here? To lecture me? Spare yourselves trouble,' he all but snarled at them and turned to leave.

'Oh, no, Monsieur. You are going to listen to us,' the black cat reciprocated with a growl of his own. He caught the edge of the purple sleeve and pulled with a force surprising for such a small creature. 'We have a gift for you,' he stated sourly dragging him back into the center of the dome and Hawkmoth instantly understood that nothing pleasant could possibly come out of any gift the black kwami got for him.

'Because it's Christmas,' the red sprite supplied but there was not even one happy sound in it, 'and because the people you're hurting deserve better-'

'-Out of all those confused, misguided, poor guys widely known as supervillains,' her companion again continued her thought as if they were one, 'you get a chance.'

'Because we believe your heart hasn't been corrupted yet,' the ladybug kwami concluded.

Gabriel was already disoriented with the way they spoke to him and treated him. 'A chance?' he asked, frantically trying to think of a way out.

'A chance to make it not happen,' the one named Tikki said, as if this would explain anything.

'I don't understand,' Hawkmoth decided to play for time.

'Oh you will, soon enough,' the black sprite murmured ominously and Gabriel shuddered at the deep, sinister tone of his voice. He turned his questioning gaze at his two unwelcome and unexpected guests but their attention had shifted to something above their heads.

Blue and green eyes locked onto the confused pink butterfly that still hovered high under the dome and Hawkmoth suddenly felt his insides churn with an unpleasant sensation of trouble approaching.

'Now, Plagg!' the ladybug kwami hissed, throwing herself in Hawkmoth's way while her companion launched himself at the pink butterfly. His paws were already steaming with black bubbles of cataclysm.

The moth wielder stopped inches from the red sprite as if he had hit a wall. With eyes wide opened and lips curled in a shocked scowl he watched as the akuma, still charged with his power, blackened and disintegrated into dust under the black cat's touch. A subtle butterfly outline made entirely out of light flickered in its place for a moment and disappeared.

Hawkmoth felt the cataclysm deep within himself, as if some invisible force drained his energy at once. He dropped to his knees. 'What have you done?' he whimpered clutching his reeling head. A deep growl tore from his throat, 'You will pay for that!'

Tikki smiled wickedly and Gabriel thought she would be the last creature he would suspect of being cruel or unkind. Yet there she was, hovering over him with a self satisfied smirk while he could barely breathe. She brought her paws together in a motion similar to what he did when he poured his power into an akuma and silver shine glimmered between her joined limbs. It got brighter and brighter until it erupted like a supernova, sending a shockwave that forced him to close his eyes before they would burn. A strange afterglow flickered under his eyelids and he didn't dare to look again until it faded completely.

Hawkmoth no longer had his usual composure. The calm that he had used as his shield dissolved into a mixture of confusion, rage and fear in the face of the assault. He barely had enough of coherent thought left to see what happened to the kwami.

A silvery-pinkish shape fluttered between the red sprite's paws. The akuma returned, recreated by the demigoddess. Dark lines snaked and twisted over the surface of its wings. Hawkmoth watched helplessly as the ladybug kwami whispered something in a language he didn't recognize. The butterfly quivered and took flight.

In his direction.

'What have you done?' he yelled and tried to move away. 'What have you done to my akuma?!'

'This is our gift to you, Gabriel,' Tikki replied revelently. 'Use it wisely.'

'Now!' Plagg hissed and the butterfly charged at the retreating man.

Hawkmoth swatted at it with his cane, but there was no stopping an akuma when it chose its target. The butterfly landed on the miraculous brooch and disappeared inside. Grey mist engulfed the man's feet and crawled up his legs.

'What's happening?!' He waved at the smoke in a vain attempt to chase it away. 'What have you done to me?!'

'Aren't you familiar with this process, Hawkmoth?' the black cat snickered, casting him a disbelieving look.

'Answers are coming, Gabriel,' his blue-eyed companion said soothingly.

'More answers, than you could possibly wish for,' the black sprite murmured under his breath. 'Enjoy the ride,' he added with a condescending smirk, leaning leisurely on Tikki's shoulder.

At that the mist swallowed the whole purple figure and with a faint pop, Hawkmoth disappeared in a puff of smoke.

[To be continued soon]

[gabrielxreader]

Tawny Gold

Request: Hi could I request a story where reader really likes the idea of having wings so Gabriel snaps up some angel wings for them and their wings start giving signals that gets Gabriel kinda flustered, fluff or smut I don't care as long as there's a lot of it. Also your guys blog is awesome! I'm obsessed with it keep up the good work! :)

Request: Hello, dears! I've been having a pretty crappy week packed full of exams, so here's my request: Gabriel x reader that's just pure fluff. Cuddling, tickles, wing kink, the whole nine yards. Please and thanks! :*

Request: Can we get Babe so cute Gabriel x Reader fluff?? Like the purest fluff possible. like cotton candy sweetness fluff

Warnings: wing!kink, lots of fluff, no smut

Word Count: 1540

Author: Gwen

Gender: Female

Your name: submit What is this? // <![CDATA[ function replaceAll(find, replace, str) { return str.replace(new RegExp(find, 'g'), replace); } function myHandler() { var input = document.getElementById("inputTxt").value; document.body.innerHTML = replaceAll('Y/N', document.getElementById("inputTxt").value, document.body.innerHTML); } // ]]>

Some action movie with cars played on the motel T.V. screen, but despite those being your favorite your eyes remained on the archangel sitting next to you on the ripped couch. His shoulders were relaxed as a smile made itself at home on his already charming face. He was leaning forward, elbows on knees, and it making you wonder if it was because of his wings or if he was just really interested in the movie.

Angel wings were something you had been curious about since you met an angel when you were ten. You hadn’t seen Gabriel’s wings before, but from time to time you would asked about them. In turn, he would always give you simple answers, not really diving too much into detail, despite your overflowing curiosity. Secretly, part of you wanted your own wings, which was why you asked to begin with. You dreamed of wings, perched on your back, the feeling of them moving in the wind, allowing you the gift of flight.

“Gonna stare all day?” Gabriel broke the silence and your state of mind as he turned his head towards you, smirking at catching your gaze. You hadn’t realized you’d been staring that long and you felt your face heat up at his words.

“Sorry. I was just thinking.” Your head ducked down.

“Thinking about little old me?” The archangel raised an eyebrow.

“About wings.”

“Ah. That again.” Gabriel paused the movie with a snap. “What question do you have for me now?”

“Well...I–I was wondering…” You rubbed your arms. “...could humans have wings?” Gabriel blinked at you. “I mean like–not angel...but like cosmetically. Have wings and fly.” You scooted away from him, blushing at your words.

“I doubt humans could handle it. Wings aren’t something that you can just throw on and save the world with. It took decades for most angels to control their wings. Also, it’s a lot of responsibility.” Gabriel spoke after a moment.

“Oh…”

“Yeah. Also gotta maintain them.” Gabriel glanced over his shoulder like he was inspecting his own. “Why? Want a pair for yourself?”

His blunt question surprised you. Nodding you stayed in your corner, disappointment filling your head. “Hmmm…” He rubbed his chin. Gabriel hated to see you so somber. “Maybe with an archangel teacher you could control them.” Your head turned at his words. “I mean...if anything I could make them easier to control. A pair with some training wheels attached to them.”

“Really?” You beamed.

“Yeah, now don’t get too excited.” Gabriel couldn’t help but smile at your hopeful expression. “Gonna have to learn how to control them. They are large.”

“I think I can handle it.”

“Alright.” Gabriel regarded your body size, trying to picture what wings would look best. Then after he finished thinking it over he snapped his fingers. You could feel his grace moving around your back, the warmth spreading and bursting out. The grace started to fill out and a new weight settled on your back. Two tawny gold wings appeared, their color slightly changing in the light. “Holy shit!” You exclaimed. “This is so...wow!” The excitement and surprise made your wings stretch out, knocking a lamp over. You were about to stand up, but Gabriel put a hand on your shoulder.

“Just practice stretching them first. No need to go rampaging around breaking things.”

“This is so cool!” You cheered, running your fingers through the long primary feathers at the bottom of your wing. “It’s so soft, but..strong.” Following Gabriel’s suggestion, you worked on stretching your wings. As you got used to the feeling you started to flap them a little. You could feel the air move around you, along with your new muscles working. “I’m surprised they’re not white.”

Gabriel shrugged, his cheeks turning pink slightly. “I uh...you didn’t say a color.” He scratched the back of his neck. “So..I picked one that’s familiar. Like mine.”

“Oh, now you have to show me yours.” You stood up and your wings folded behind your back on their own to help with the balance.

“Buy me dinner first or are you just that kind of girl.” Gabriel joked, standing up next to the couch.

“That’s not–I didn’t mean–” You stammered, mentally beating yourself up. Your feathers ruffled up at your emotions, pulling in tighter.

He chuckled. “I know, sweetheart.” Gabriel dusted off his shoulders, hesitating.

“You don’t have to, Gabriel.” You reassured him.

“No..it’s just...it’s been some time.” Closing his eyes, he let his anxiety go as he remembered your reaction to your own wings. Light poured out from his back as two large golden brown wings took up the room. The ones that you had were tiny compared to his magnificent powerful wings that seemed to glow. You mouth was agape as you took in the pristine feathers. Opening his eyes, Gabriel gave you a shy smile.

“So…” He ran his fingers through his hair as his wings folded slightly under your gaze.

“Well, now I’m definitely jealous.” You took a step forward, wanting to reach out. “My wings are not even half as amazing as yours are.”

“Nah. Yours are great.” Gabriel ducked his head. His wings expanded behind him, swinging forward like extending arms. Taking another step forward, the golden brown giants caged you in.

“They’re gorgeous. Incredible.” Without even thinking your wings expanded, the tips touching Gabriel’s. A spark snaked through your body at the moment of touch. “Wow. What was–”

“Angel stuff.” Gabriel answered, trying to reign in his wings. “The need to be apart of a flock.”

“A flock? What does that entail?” Your wings brushed against his again, sending that warm feeling through you. You noticed Gabriel shiver while silently cursing.

“Angels...we want to be close to one another. If we trust someone...we show our wings and…” He paused, biting his lower lip. “...do things together.”

“Things?” You blushed, feeling exposed as you fought to tuck your wings back in.

“Grooming. Cuddling. Flying. Play fighting.” Gabriel cleared his throat. “Been awhile. That’s why my wings are acting like this.”

“It’s okay. I understand.” You smiled. “So grooming?”

“Only if you want. I don’t want you to feel pressured into doing some angel stuff.”

“It’s fine. Sounds like fun. So how does this grooming thing normally go?”

“Well, we take turns. Basically you make sure the feathers are all going the same way and remove any broken or loose ones.” Gabriel showed you by using one of his wings as an example.

“Sounds easy. Can I do you first?”

“Sure.” Gabriel nodded before sitting down on the floor.

The feathers shined up close, making you nervous to touch them. Gabriel spoke through some of it when you were dealing with the larger feathers. Once you got closer to his back, he became more silent and twitched at every touch.

“Are you okay?” You finally asked when he made a strange sound.

“I’m–I…it tickles a little. Been quite some time since anyone has touched ‘em.” Gabriel tried to keep his voice level, but was failing as he spoke.

“Tickles?” You arched an eyebrow.

“Just..a little.”

“So like this?” You ran your fingers through the softest feathers. His chest rumbled as he fought to contain his laughter. “Or like this?” Taking one long feather you ran two fingers on either side.

“Enough. Please!” Gabriel shook, trying to get away from your touch.

“Who knew.” You giggled, chasing after him. Rubbing his spine only got more laughs out of him.

“Stop! No fair!”

“Says the trickster!” Your hands gripped his wings as he fought to keep you away. The two of you ended up wrestling a little with Gabriel pinning you down onto the floor.

“Payback!” Gabriel yelled out before attacking your sides and wings with tickles. You cried out for him to stop, but that made him tickle you more.

“Gabriel! Truce! Truce!” You begged, tears clouding your vision as your lungs hurt from all the laughter.

“Only if you don’t tickle me.” He pulled back.

“Deal.” You exhaled.

Happy with the result, Gabriel rolled to your side. “Still glad you got those wings?” He played with a loose feather on your wing.

“Yeah.” You turned towards him. “Didn’t you say something about cuddling?”

Gabriel nodded at your words slowly. “Typically in a nest.”

“Would a couch work?” You eyed the forgotten furniture.

“I don’t see why not.” Gabriel helped you up. “Since mine are bigger I’ll wrap them around us.”

“No need to brag.” You joked, cuddling up next to him. One of your wings draped over the two of you while Gabriel’s curled around the two of you. You sighed at the warm and loving feeling. “Teach me to fly after we cuddle for a bit? Like flying, not that teleporting stuff.”

“We don’t teleport, but yes...I can do that.” Gabriel rested his chin on top of your head. “This is nice. I missed this.”

“Well, as long as you have me, I’d be happy to groom and cuddle with you. As long as I can keep my wings.” You closed your eyes, listening to his steady heartbeat. “Thank you, Gabriel.”

“You’re welcome, Y/N. Our newest angel.”

[justcallmeyourgoddess]

An Angel’s Grace [Part 1] *EDITED*

Gabriel x Reader

Author: @justcallmeyourgoddess

Reader: Female

Warnings: Sexual frustration/suggestiveness, that’s it though

Word Count: 2909

Notes: I’m editing and extending all An Angel’s Grace Series chapters. So yeah, enjoy :)

A breeze as sweet as honey and as soft as silk ruffled your hair that morning. You were standing on a balcony of stained wood, looking out on green fields and grassy hilltops. It was a beautiful sight to see and it had become tradition for you to sit and watch the sunrise. The way the colors blended together like a painting made you smile and the way the clouds wisped around had you guessing what shapes they could be making. You’d been living here in this amazing house of marble and granite and the finest lumber for a few years now, alongside the love of your life. You considered yourself very lucky, having an archangel for a husband and a mate was not a luxury every human had in the world. Of course, the supernatural was something you’d been used to since you were a child. You’d been taken in by a hunter named Bobby when your parents were murdered by demons. It was horrible, yes, but it was how you met two boys named Sam and Dean Winchester, and how you became a hunter.

Not hunting anymore was a relief, to say the least. Of course there were days where you felt the urge to go out and save the world, but it was rare when you went on a trip with your old pals. Instead you enjoyed a life of plush and comfort. One of the perks of your new life was the large pool just below the balcony, that actually doubled as a diving board. You loved experimenting with different ways to spin off and into the water. The grace of a professional diver was something you were not blessed with, but you never cared because it was fun to try.

Making your way over to where the carved railing ended, you had removed the baggy shirt covering the sleek one-piece bathing suit beneath. Swimming in the morning was also one of your favorite things to do other than watch the sunrise. Curling your toes around the edge of the wood, you thought about what kind of dive you would clumsily attempt to accomplish. A basic front flip would do, you decided and made a massive leap and spin into the pool. The splash was huge and sent water flying over the tile ground as you went under the surface. You kept your eyes closed against the chlorine water, bubbles streaming from your nose as your pushed your way back up for air.

As you broke from the depths, a voice greeted you. “Hey, Y/N.”

You looked over your shoulder to see your favorite angel perched at the edge of the pool. Smiling, you waded over to him and held yourself up by your arms on the stone. “Hey Gabe,” You murmured back. “I missed you.” He was clad in the usual ripped jeans, t-shirt, and brown leather jacket. Golden feathered wings swept out behind him, falling languidly over his shoulders with their tips resting comfortably on the ground.

He chuckled, “You always do.” Then he kissed you, and your heart soared. You hadn’t seen him in a couple of weeks and his lips against yours felt like fireworks in your body.

You stayed connected to him as you reached an arm up and over his shoulders. With one swift pull the archangel was tumbling into the water with you. His wings flailed in dismay, but to no avail. You turned your face away from the spray of water that erupted as Gabriel descended into the pool. As he surfaced, a small frown on his face, you couldn’t help but burst into hearty laughter.

“C’mon, Y/N, you know I can’t fly well when my wings are wet.” The archangel whined as he swam to the edge and hauled himself out. “And now they stink of chlorine.”

You watched him flap his wings around in an attempt to get the water out as you made your way to the carved steps that would take you out of the pool. The stone tiles were much warmer than you expected them to be on your bare feet, which sent you skidding quickly to the grass lawn beyond. Edging carefully to the glass sliding doors that would take you back inside the house, you glanced over your shoulder and tried to be suggestive, “I’m going to take a shower.” Then walked in before popping your head back out to see the archangel watching you with lust in his eyes. “You can join me, if you’d like.”

In a moment, and a flutter of wet wings, Gabriel was standing behind you with arms around your waist. His hands were surprisingly soft, whether it was because of the pool water or the excessive amount of lotion Gabe used, you weren’t sure. He kissed your neck softly, his breath sending goose bumps across your skin. You were about to turn around and kiss him again, but before you could he was sweeping you up in his arms bridal style. He walked the pair of you across the house, passing the kitchen and living room before heading into your shared bedroom. It was huge, and on the far side was a small hallway that lead into the bathroom. As you entered, Gabe set you down and with a snap of his fingers you were both undressed and the shower was running.

As you climbed in, side by side, you allowed Gabriel to guide you in front of him. His hands ran up and down your arms, shoulders, and back, giving a slow massage. You hummed your appreciation to the gesture and the two of you stood there like the for a few minutes, relishing in one another’s touches. Eventually, your husband got shampoo into his hands and lathered it gently into your scalp. You closed your eyes and leaned into the motion, and you imagined that you wouldn’t ever be happier than you were in that moment. Life was good. No, not just good, maybe even perfect.

“Hey,” He murmured.

“Hey?” You replied, an amused sound in your voice. You thought your husband sounded nervous, and that was a rare occurrence.

Gabe shrugged and continued. “I was just thinking, do you want to go somewhere after we get out of the shower?”

You continued to face away from him as he helped rinse the shampoo bubbles from your hair. “I mean, you just got home after being away for two weeks. Do you really want to go out?”

“I think it would be fun,” The archangel paused. “We were invited to something, but if you don’t want to we don’t have to.” He seemed a little too eager for you to decline leaving the house, and it made you curious.

“Sure, let’s go out. I’d love to. I’ve stayed home most of the time you were gone.” You answered, trying not to convey the curiosity that was beginning to swell within you. “What were we invited to, exactly?”

“Oh, uh, just some gathering with my brothers. Nothing big, they just want to meet you, ya know?” There was that nervousness again.

“Brothers? Like Castiel, or are you meaning like Michael?” Your interest was growing. You’d never met all of the other archangels before, but you’d always wanted to.

“Yes, actually.” Gabriel started to massage the conditioner into the ends of your hair. “Michael, Raphael, and Lucifer are all thinking that it was time they met my human mate.”

Now you were more than just interested, especially at the mention of Lucifer. The older archangel had finally given up his demonic ways after some heart-to-heart with God, or something, and had gone back to heaven. “They don’t want to kill me or anything, right?” You joked.

“No, no, of course not.” He said strongly. You knew he’d never lead you into danger like that. “Angels haven’t taken humans as mates since, well, a very long time. Even then, only few ever did. For an archangel, it’s almost unheard of. They’re just curious to see who this trickster could have fallen in love with.”

As the last of the conditioner was rinsed away, you turned around to face your mate. “They must think I’m some sort of enchantress and thief to be able to steal your heart.” You chuckled, maneuvering your way behind Gabe. “Hand me your ‘wing cleaner’, sugar.” As he reached over his shoulder to hand you and oddly shaped and rainbow colored bottle, you couldn’t help but adding. “It’s such a strange name, why don’t you just use regular soap on your feathers?” You teased, poking him in the sides to tickle him.

He jumped and giggled, pushing your hands away gingerly. “It’s perfect for these babies,” The archangel shuffled his wings indignantly. “And normal soap is overrated.”

Rolling your eyes, you took some of the thick goop from the bottle and started running your fingers through the feathers. As you pulled out dirt and small debris from the toughest spaces, you thought back to the day you first saw Gabriel’s wings. It was the day the mating ceremony had been completed, of course, since she was human she had to be his mate to see them. You had been in awe by their golden spark and the softness of their touch on your skin. Of course it was something to get used to, especially with sleeping arrangements, but you soon learned to love them. The feathers parted easily for you now as you guided them underneath the water of the shower to rinse them off before moving to another spot to lather with ‘wing cleaner’. You were almost done, one more spot to get to. Glancing up quickly to try and sneak a peek of Gabriel’s face, you kneaded slowly into wear the smallest feathers met with the skin of his back. Immediately, you felt his muscles tense beneath your touch and a low, nearly inaudible, moan escape his lips. That was a place you’d discovered quickly in the bedroom, it was the most sensitive place on his body beside his manhood. However, you weren’t really in the mood just then, so you finished washing with haste and headed out of the shower. As you did so, you could almost feel his disappointment like mist in the air and you couldn’t help but snicker a little.

After wrapping yourself in a towel, you made your way into the bedroom and toward your dresser. You opened a couple of drawers, pushing your clothes around while trying to figure out what to wear. What do you wear to meet archangels? You wondered if they’d expect you to be dressed formally or casually, but you supposed you could always ask Gabriel. You knew he was still in the shower and you didn’t feel like yelling, so you simply sent him a thought through the telepathic bond you shared due to being mates. It was extremely convenient as you could communicate with one another without speaking out loud and it didn’t matter how far away you were and you could always choose what thoughts they heard.

‘What should I wear?’ You asked.

‘Casual, it’s not fancy. Just be yourself.’

Nodding, you pulled out a comfortable soft t-shirt, a light-weight cardigan, and some jeans. As you were getting dressed, Gabriel seemed to have turned off the shower and teleported to his own dresser, already dry. You were jealous of how quick he could get around and do things, especially how when the next time you looked up, he was dressed and ready to go. It took you a little longer, as you put your shoes on and spent a couple minutes in front of the mirror putting a bit of mascara on.

As you swiped the brush across your lashes, Gabriel tried to explain how the meeting would go and what it would entail.

“You see, Y/N, when an archangel chooses a mate, human or angel, that individual is protected by all the archangels. The bond between an archangel and their mate can leave damage on both parties if broken, which is why we take it so seriously.” You laughed at the thought, you would be more heavily guarded than the president from what he was describing. “They just have to meet you first, because they have to… I’m not sure how to describe it other than imprint on you? Basically they have to familiarize themselves with you and your soul so they can adequately protect you. You’re actually higher on the priority list than prophets.”

“Oh really now?” You mumbled, concentrating on not poking yourself in the eye with the mascara wand.

“Mhm,” He mumbled as you finished and put the make-up away. “Ready?”

“Yes.” You answered, taking his arm as he transported the pair of you away from the house. Your feet landed neatly on a marble floor and you were casually reminded of when teleporting with Gabriel was not as easy. You nearly vomited the first time. Glancing around, you saw a luxurious mansion with carved stone features and beautiful decorum. The two of you were standing in the main room, behind you was the front door and ahead of you were two parallel stair cases on opposite sides of the room that lead to the upstairs. Large archways to each side lead to different rooms, and you let your mate guide you toward the left. It was an open room with large windows and couches.

“This place is really something.” You said, your eyes taking in everything. “But where are they?”

Before Gabe could reply, and if on cue, there was a loud flutter of wings and a whoosh of air behind you. Your eyes moved toward the noise and you were greeted by three individual faces. You’d met Raphael before, not in the vessel he was in now and he’d been a lot more aggressive when you’d seen him with the Winchesters. He seemed as solemn as he’d ever been, but wasn’t hostile. If anything, the dark skinned angel seemed pleasantly surprised to see you. Next, whom you were guessing was Michael, had a vessel of a young and strong man who was clean shaven with dark hair. He seemed familiar, but you couldn’t quite put your finger on why. The oldest archangel was smiling, and dipped his head to you as your eyes reached him. Lastly, your gaze met with icy blue eyes. Lucifer was smiling like a goofy child, and his stance was languid and loose with ease, unlike the other two archangels she’d just met. You’d never met him, but you’d heard plenty from the Winchesters to be wary, even if he had put his old ways behind him.

“Hello.” You ventured to say, turning back to Michael, but glancing back to Lucifer every once in awhile. “My name is Y/N.”

“Greetings.” Michael spoke, and again, this voice was so familiar. Where had you heard it before? “I’m sure you already know us.”

You nodded your confirmation, looking down at your hands then back up to Michael. As you did, sunlight coming through the window caught your eyes. You thought the older archangel seemed taken aback, but only for a moment. Shrugging off the feeling, you glanced toward Lucifer again, his silly smile amusing you. You were going to say something, but the sun blinded you for a moment and with irritation you moved your body to the other side of Gabe. Now, it was Lucifer who had the strange look on his face that Michael had, but it didn’t leave quite as quickly.

“Is there something on my face?” You asked shyly, bringing your hands up to your cheeks and looking between Michael and Lucifer.

“No, it’s just…” The blue eyed archangel spoke first, but Michael cut him off.

“Gabriel, why did you not tell us?”

Your mate was utterly confused now, “I don’t understand.”

The oldest archangel took your husband’s arm and moved him to stand in between himself and Lucifer. “Y/N, will you move back where you were standing earlier?”

Not knowing what was going on, you did as you were told, eyeing the four archangels in front of you through squinted eyes as the sun shone into them.

“Do you see it? It’s just there, I almost missed it, but it’s no coincidence when Lucifer saw it too.” You heard Michael whisper into Gabe’s ear. Raphael, too, seemed shocked as he looked at you, but Gabriel had not yet seen what they’d pointed out.

“I really don’t know what you mean,” He started, but looked back at you with whiskey colored eyes. “What are you--” But he cut off and took a step forward as if he’d caught a glimpse of what they’d be searching for. “Oh... I didn’t know. How did I not see it before? Are you sure?”

“What?” You yearned to know what was going on, as you were obviously the only one ignorant to what was happening. “Are you all going to stand gawking at me, or are you going to explain?”

Gabriel turned back to Michael, as if confirming the truth before speaking. As your mate gazed into your eyes once more, you felt all of his love and his curiosity about what he was about to reveal. “You don’t just have a human soul in your body, Y/N.”

You laughed. “What do you mean?” You looked to the other archangels in disbelief. “What else could be there?”

It was Lucifer who answered your question, “An angel’s grace.”

[miraculouspaon]

Where Have All The Heroes Gone And Where Are All The Gods?

Chapter Forty-four: The Battle for Paris: Part One

AO3

“Are we there yet?” Adele asked, addressing no one in particular.

“You know everything we know,” Jonathan replied, his voice flat. He glanced at his sister. “You don't look good.”

“I'll be fine.”

“You don't feel fine.”

“Sorry.” Adele closed her eyes. Her face was pale, her breathing shallow. Sitting next to her, Gabriel reached over and, somewhat awkwardly, took her hands in his, squeezing them tightly. Adele kept her eyes closed, but her breathing steadied. “Thank you,” she whispered, squeezing back.

For the next ten minutes or so, the only noise in the back of the armored car was the sound of Adele’s and Gabriel’s handcuffs clinking together softly.

“Is it just me,” Ferd said, “or does the air in here feel weird? Like it's full of static electricity or something.”

“Anti-magic field,” his husband said. “It's in the sides of the car.”

“I can't feel anything,” Gabriel said.

“Neither can I, but we don't generate any kind of magic energy,” Jonathan said. “Ferd does.”

The rest of the drive was passed in complete silence.

Upon reaching their destination, the four of them were awkwardly dragged out, blinking in the sudden light of the outdoors.

“The Luxembourg?” Jonathan said, confused, as they were led to the entrance. “Not, like, a police station? I thought-”

“You thought the vigilante traitors in your family would be able to break you out before the Order got a chance to question you?” his guard interrupted. “Nice try. I’d like to see any of them break through these defenses.”

~~~

“Mr. Benavente,” Ferd’s interrogator started, sitting down across from him, “do you have any idea why you're here?”

“Wish I did,” Ferd replied nervously. “I'm guessing it has something to do with my in-laws?”

“Your guess would be correct. Would it surprise you to learn that they are both confirmed traitors, and will likely be sentenced to death before the end of the day?”

Ferd’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”

“You think we’ve made an error?”

“Oh, well…” Ferd looked down, “I mean, I don't actually know them that well. Jonathan’s not really as close to his family as I am to mine, we barely ever see them. Honestly, it really took me by surprise when Jonathan said they'd be staying at our place for a while.”

The interrogator began to take notes. “That's unusual, then?”

“It's never happened before. Never spent more than a couple hours around them at a time, actually.”

“Well, Mr. Benavente, it seems very likely to me that you and your husband are mostly innocent in all this, but if I'm going to prove that I'll need your full cooperation. Full disclosure, understand?”

Ferd nodded. “Prove I don't know anything by telling you everything. Got it.”

“Yes, that's the-” the interrogator stopped suddenly and narrowed his eyes at Ferd. “Was that supposed to be funny?” Ferd shook his head. “Good.” The man began flipping through the file he’d brought in with him.

“Can I ask something?” Ferd asked.

“Huh?” The interrogator looked up, surprised.

“Sorry, I’ll be quick, it’s just, this is the first chance I’ve had to ask anyone and it’s been driving me crazy since Day One. Why the twenty-eighth?”

“The… of August?” the interrogator asked, confused. “Is there some significance to that date?”

“None. The twenty-fifth, on the other hand, would have been perfect. You guys missed the hundred-year anniversary of the liberation of Paris during World War Two by three days. Paris could have been a free city for exactly a hundred years, but instead it was free for a hundred years and three days. Doesn’t that drive you crazy?”

The interrogator raised an eyebrow and looked back at his file. “Right,” he muttered to himself, “the history professor.” He looked up at Ferd. “Mr. Benavente, Paris is still a free city, do you understand me?”

Ferd sighed. “Of course,” he said. “My mistake.”

~~~

“Are you ill?” Adele’s interrogator asked, as though the matter were purely academic to her.

“Um,” Adele took as deep a breath as she could manage, “not exactly, I just get… anxious… when I feel confined.”

The interrogator pulled out a file and began to flip through it. “Anxious? Is that what you call a PTSD-triggered panic attack?”

“I haven’t had a panic attack in ten years,” Adele said.

“Well, I could hardly blame you for having one now,” the interrogator said conversationally, as she continued to study the file. “Your psychiatrist listed both confined spaces and handcuffs as triggers.” She glanced around the small room, then at Adele’s hands currently cuffed to the table. “Check and check.” She looked back at the file. “You know, there isn’t nearly as much information in here as we were hoping for.”

Adele shrugged. “Dr. Blanchet wasn’t much for taking notes, I guess.”

“Mmm. Too bad she retired and moved to Montreal, or she’d be in here answering our questions, too.” The interrogator put the file aside and looked at Adele. “Ready to begin?”

Adele nodded. “Yes, let’s,” she agreed. “The anchor points of the security spells for this base, are they in this wing?”

The interrogator blinked. “Excuse me?”

“And are they on this floor? Above us, or below?”

“Mrs. Agreste-”

“One floor up? Two? Three?”

“Mrs. Agreste,” the interrogator snapped, “you seem to be very confused about who is asking questions here and who is answering them.”

“Oh, of course,” Adele said apologetically. “How silly of me.”

~~~

After about ten minutes of waiting, the door of Gabriel’s interrogation room opened and a familiar face looked in.

“Frederick,” Gabriel said calmly. “Fancy running into you here.”

“Oh, I requested you specifically, Gabriel,” Frederick said, sitting down across from Gabriel. “After all, we’ve been friends for four months now. Or at least, I thought we were.”

“Really?” Gabriel leaned back, or did his best while cuffed to the table. “Even for an officer of the Order that is, I must say, a shocking level of self-delusion.”

“You invited me into your home-”

“I did no such thing.”

“-sat me down, had your granddaughter feed me that story about Elizabeth Renaud being Ladybug.” Frederick shook his head. “How you all must have laughed once I’d left.”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “I assure you, Frederick,” he said slowly, “I have not laughed once since you and your fellow vermin infested my city and kidnapped my son.”

“Oh, good,” Frederick said, “you're admitting your son is Chat Noir. That should save time. Maybe we can just skip to the end, then. Where are your grandchildren?”

Gabriel shrugged. “With their mother, I expect.”

Frederick glared. “And where is their mother?”

“I couldn't say.”

Frederick sighed. “That's very disappointing, Gabriel.”

“I’ve disappointed you? And here I thought there would be no upside to my arrest.”

There was a pause, and then Frederick abruptly struck Gabriel across the face and grabbed his shirt. “One way or another,” Frederick hissed, “I am getting what I need out of you, Gabriel Agreste. I already have more than enough evidence to have you and your wife executed for treason. So if you care about surviving this-”

Gabriel cut him off with a scoff. “You have nothing. I suppose it hardly matters, though. It's not as though the Order actually requires evidence before executing a citizen for anything.”

“So confident, so superior. I suppose you think you removed everything incriminating from your ridiculously oversized mansion before abandoning it?” Frederick leaned over the desk. “You could have removed every single object under that roof and it wouldn't have saved you.” Frederick let go of Gabriel and leaned back in his chair, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a clear glass orb. “Do you know what this is?”

Gabriel glanced at the item. “A paperweight? Not mine, I'm certain, although I suppose I wouldn't object to possessing it. You may have noticed when you were ransacking my office that my home decor aesthetic runs towards the monochromatic.”

Frederick grinned. “Oh but that’s the thing, Gabriel. This object isn't monochromatic. Not when it's in your office, at any rate. This is much more than a paperweight. This is the result of months of hard work and research, the culmination of all our efforts to finally rid this city of the scourge of vigilantism. This item, you see, can detect Miraculous energy.” Gabriel said nothing, kept his face a mask. “In my presence it is totally clear, because I am not a traitor. Inside your home, however, it was-well, I'll just show you.” Frederick placed the device on the table right in front of Gabriel, and instantly the clear glass swirled blue, purple, and green. “My word, all three of them,” Frederick said smugly. “Not that there was any doubt, but it is very clear now that the new vigilantes are your grandchildren.”

“That proves nothing,” Gabriel said. “The superheroes are anonymous. They could be anyone I know, I would have no way of-”

“That's what this is for,” Frederick interrupted, pulling out another orb. “We have dozens of these things, all of varying sensitivity. The one in front of you reacts to any recent prolonged exposure. This one, however, will only react to an actual Miraculous holder. And once we catch your grandchildren, they'll be tested. I have every confidence they'll be found guilty and executed by the end of the week.”

“Touch any one of them,” Gabriel said, his voice low and threatening, “and it will be the last of what I can only assume is an entire lifetime of idiotic actions you take.”

“You really don't get it, do you?” Frederick asked. “You lost. It's over. There's no threatening, no negotiating, there is nothing you can do.”

“Then why the hell am I even here?”

“Tell me where they are,” Frederick said, leaning over Gabriel yet again, “and I'll only kill the mother.”

Gabriel scoffed. “You must be extremely worried, if you're offering to pardon three superheroes.”

“Pardon? Hardly. They'll be locked up with the other vigilantes.”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “Based on the condition my daughter-in-law was in when she returned from that hell,” he said, “I'm not at all convinced that sending her children there isn't just a slightly slower form of execution as well.”

“You don't have time to argue, Gabriel,” Frederick said. “This offer expires within the hour, do you hear me? After that, I will find your grandchildren, I will use this device on them, and once it turns they'll be…” Frederick trailed off as the orb he just held up to Gabriel’s face turned a solid deep blue. Both men stared at the glass orb silently for a moment, and then Gabriel looked at Frederick.

“Congratulations,” he said dryly. “You've captured Hera.”

Frederick continued to stare at the orb, bewildered. “You're not Hera,” he finally said. “You can't be.”

“Whyever not?”

“I’ve seen Hera, she can't be more than twenty.”

“Well, that's quantic identity protection for you.”

“She's a girl.”

“It's a very good disguise,” Gabriel replied. He looked back at the orb. “The way I see it, Frederick, there are two explanations. Either you've caught Hera, in which case I'm sure your superiors will reward you handsomely. Or that trinket in your hand is a useless piece of junk incapable of accurately detecting anything. I don't know how the Order deals with that level of incompetence, but I can't imagine they do it lightly.”

Frederick paled, then abruptly struck Gabriel across the face with the hand holding the orb, splitting his lip. “I'll be right back,” Frederick muttered before quickly leaving the room.

~~~

Jonathan’s interrogator re-entered his room. “Mariposa?” she asked sarcastically.

“Yes?”

The woman shook her head. “No,” she said confidently. “No, you're not Mariposa.”

“Huh. According to that little doohickey you've got, I am,” Jonathan said. “Is it broken?”

“Not at all, it’s working perfectly. It's simply that we didn't realize it was incapable, at this setting, of distinguishing between current Miraculous holders and former ones. But I imagine you’d already guessed that… Hawkmoth.”

Jonathan stared at the woman for a moment, and then a grin slowly crept across his face. “Congratulations,” he said, “you found me out.”

“Imagine my surprise,” she replied. “Let me guess… your sister. Butterfly, evidently. Lost in the line of duty all those years ago, and you went after her. The protective big brother. And when you found her Miraculous, becoming Hawkmoth was a means to acquiring the power you needed to find her. Am I warm?”

“Burning.”

“I can't wait to hear the full story.”

Jonathan blinked. “Why on earth would I tell it?”

“Oh, you're about to be very cooperative,” the interrogator said. “I think you'll be quite willing to work with me.”

“Why? Because we’re both villains?”

The woman's smile faltered. “I am not a villain.”

“Oh, that's right. You're a, what do they call it, a minion.” Jonathan shrugged. “Never bothered with them myself, but now that I'm watching you in action I'm beginning to see the appeal.”

“I suppose I’ll take that as a compliment,” the woman said dryly. “No, I think you’ll work with me because you strike me as practical. Willing to do what needs to be done. Unfettered by naive, backward notions of morality. Unlike the rest of your family.” She smiled. “And what an interesting family it is, too. Butterfly, Paon, Chat Noir, Ladybug… and Hawkmoth. Reunions must be awkward.”

Jonathan shrugged. “It's true,” he agreed, “I do have a slightly different perspective on things than the rest of my family. Superheroes tend toward the blindly idealistic.” He leaned forward. “But you've threatened people I care about and, well, I imagine this won't come as a surprise to you, but when the people I love are in danger I can get a little… unstable. Difficult to reason with.”

“Then let me put your mind at ease, Mr. Dumas. My superiors have very little interest in the people you actually care about. Don't get me wrong, they'd happily execute your sister and her husband for the crime of masked vigilantism, and you right along with them. And of course, revealing to the public that Hawkmoth is the brother of Butterfly, the uncle of Chat Noir, that is going to do wonders for convincing the people of our empire that superheroes and supervillains are two sides of the same coin. But to be honest…” she shrugged. “How many people really remember Butterfly and Paon, over forty years later? How much of an impact is their execution really going to have? And you, you're hardly better. Your little reign of terror only lasted a year, and that was almost thirty years ago. Now, Ladybug on the other hand… publicly executing Ladybug would be an entirely different matter.”

Jonathan raised an eyebrow. “You want me to lead you to Ladybug.”

“Your sworn nemesis in exchange for you and your sister. That seems like a very good deal to me. Hell, I'll even throw in your brother-in-law, too.” She leaned forward. “Thirty years ago you were willing to do whatever it took to save your sister. Are you a changed man now?”

“Hardly.” Jonathan considered the offer. “I want her grandkids pardoned, too,” he said. “She's crazy about them, you know? She'd never forgive me if I got them killed to save her.”

“Her grandchildren? You mean the most recent batch of vigilantes terrorizing Paris?” The interrogator shook her head. “Pardoning them is out of the question. And you're in no position to be negotiating.”

“I think I am,” Jonathan said. “You're desperate for information I have, and you must know you'll never get it out of Butterfly or Paon.”

The woman sighed. “No pardon,” she repeated, “but instead of an execution, I can make sure the children are imprisoned with the other vigilantes. That's not so bad, is it? They'll be with their father again. They'll have no idea who he is, of course, but still. It's better than being dead.”

“Technically.”

“I certainly hope I haven't misjudged you, Mr. Dumas,” the interrogator said, annoyed. “It would be disappointing if you couldn't be reasoned with after all, and I had to resort to cruder measures to get what I want from you.” She sighed wearily. “Well, at least we already have your husband in custody, that's one less step for-”

“What if…” Jonathan interrupted her before trailing off, uncertain.

“What if what?”

“What if I didn't want my brother-in-law pardoned? Just me and Adele. And the execution commuted to a life sentence for the kids, of course.”

The woman smiled. “I would be happy to arrange that,” she said, practically beaming. “I'm glad I wasn't wrong about you after all. As for what I need from you…”

“Inside left pocket of my jacket,” Jonathan said numbly, not meeting her gaze. “It's hidden, the officers who brought us in missed it. There's a piece of paper. Written on it is the address of the safe house Ladybug and her kids are hiding out at.”

Eagerly, the interrogator got up and walked around the table before pulling Jonathan's coat open and feeling inside. In no time she'd found the hidden pocket and pulled out the folded sheet of paper within.

The second she unfolded it, there was a loud popping noise and the woman collapsed in a dead faint. Jonathan watched her go down, then shook his head.

“You know,” he said, addressing her unconscious form, “I know I was a professional actor for over twenty years but come on, it is really embarrassing for you that that actually worked.” Sighing, Jonathan pulled a paper clip off of the cuff of his sleeve and began to free himself.

About thirty seconds later, still working, he rolled his eyes as he felt an extremely smug presence approach the door.

“What is this,” his sister asked as she entered the room and quickly closed the door behind herself, “the sixth time I've rescued you?”

“No,” Jonathan said insistently, as he finally worked his way free of the cuffs, “no it is not, this falls firmly in the category of me rescuing myself, thank you very much. I tricked her, knocked her out, and freed myself. You don't get to claim credit just because you happened to reach the door first.”

“Agree to disagree.” Adele crossed the room and helped her brother lift the unconscious interrogator into the now empty chair, then cuffed the woman to the table as Jonathan began to search her. “What took you so long, anyway? I was hiding around the corner for ages, I was just about to come in and knock her out myself.”

“Your interrogator was a lot more credulous than mine, I guess,” Jonathan said, grabbing the unconscious woman’s standard-issue knockout wand that all Order personnel carried. “Her guard was too up, I could feel it, the spell wouldn’t have knocked her out if I’d tried it earlier. I had to play up the whole ‘supervillain betraying his family’ angle.” Jonathan rolled his eyes. “That reminds me, they know who we are.”

Adele sighed. “Yes, that came up. I can’t believe we forgot they were working on that stupid device.”

“I wouldn’t say we forgot,” Jonathan said defensively, as he grabbed the interrogator’s cell phone and kicked it across the room, out of reach. “Anyway, it doesn’t make a difference. They already know about Adrien and Marinette. Our identities are an afterthought. This was still the best plan we could have come up with.”

“True.”

Jonathan looked at Adele. “You’re feeling a lot better,” he observed.

“The Xanax I took before the Order showed up to arrest us finally kicked in, thank God,” Adele replied. “And getting out of the cuffs helped, too. Thanks again for showing me how to do that.”

Her brother nodded. “So, are we ready to go?” he asked. “Did you find out where the spell anchors are? And our husbands?”

“Yes, Jonathan, I did my job,” Adele said impatiently. She crossed back to the door and closed her eyes, concentrating on the surrounding emotional signatures. “Alright,” she said after a moment, “it’s clear. Let’s go.”

~~~

“-will not hesitate to execute you for vigilantism and treason if you don’t start cooperating right now, do you understand me?” Frederick shouted. Gabriel said nothing, and Frederick practically growled in frustration. “Or maybe I’ll just execute your vigilante wife right in front of you, how does that sound?” Gabriel’s glare deepened, but he remained silent. “I am not bluffing, Agreste, where are your-” Frederick was cut off, quite suddenly, by a knock. He took a breath, calming himself down slightly, before turning around and going to the door.

He barely had enough time to recognize Adele, much less notice the knockout wand she’d taken from her interrogator, before everything went black.

“These things are single use only, right?” Adele asked, tossing the wand aside as her brother nodded.

“Isn’t that the guy who questioned Emma?” Jonathan asked, as they quickly stepped over Frederick’s body and closed the door. Adele shrugged, then looked over at her husband and gasped.

“Gabriel, your face!” She ran over. “What the hell did he-”

“It’s fine,” her husband interrupted. “Is everything going according to plan?”

“Yes, but…” Adele trailed off, shaking her head, as she began to free her husband. “I knew it was a bad idea for you to come, too,” she muttered. “We only needed-”

“As though I would ever again let you go on a mission without me,” Gabriel interrupted impatiently.

~~~

Ferd’s interrogator failed to notice the hopeful look that crossed Ferd’s face for a second when there was a knock at the door. He left the room for a few minutes, and returned in a noticeably better mood.

“Good news?” Ferd asked.

“Oh, very,” the interrogator replied. “It seems we’ve identified a rather dangerous figure. One you have something of a personal history with, actually. Hawkmoth. You were one of his victims, weren’t you?”

“I was,” Ferd said. “Gosh. Was catching him a high priority for the Order?”

“Well, ridding Europe of dangerous masked criminals is, of course. This specific one, admittedly, we stumbled upon rather accidentally.” The interrogator leaned forward. “I imagine you’re curious about his real identity?”

Ferd shrugged. “Honestly, I’m more interested in getting through this interrogation and going home as soon as possible, but-”

“Oh, I doubt you’ll feel that way once you find out who he is,” the interrogator said, biting back a grin. “You see, Hawkmoth is none other than your husband, Jonathan Dumas.”

Ferd was silent for a moment. “No,” he finally whispered, “no, that’s not true. That’s impossible.”

“I assure you, Mr. Benavente, we are quite certain of-”

“Oh, come on,” Ferd interrupted, annoyed. “Who doesn’t get that reference? It’s one of the most iconic scenes in cinematic history.”

The interrogator’s face fell. “You already knew.”

Ferd grinned. “Jonathan and I have been together for almost twenty years now,” he said. “I don't think there's anything you could tell me about him that I don't already know.”

“And you didn't think to mention that little fact at the start of this interview?”

“You didn't ask,” Ferd replied simply. His interrogator glared.

“And I suppose you expect me to believe that you knew he was Hawkmoth but somehow didn't know that his nephew is Chat Noir? Or that his nephew’s wife is Ladybug?”

Ferd was silent for a few seconds. “You know, now that you mention it, it might have come up once or twice in the past two decades,” he admitted.

“That alone is grounds for execution, Mr. Benavente, do you appreciate that?” The interrogator looked down at his file on Ferd, not bothering to hide his irritation or genuine confusion. “How does an akuma victim even wind up married to Hawkmoth?” he muttered, flipping through the pages.

“Oh, it’s a great story,” Ferd said eagerly. “See, back in 2017 someone hexed my parents’ B&B, because apparently 48-hour cancellation policies are just too confusing a concept for certain people to wrap their brains around, right?”

“Mr. Benavente-”

“Well, I say my parents’ B&B, my sister Isabella and her husband own it now, but back then-”

“Mr. Benavente-”

“Oh, I know exactly what you're thinking. Ferdinand and Isabella? What's a Moroccan immigrant doing naming two of her kids after the monarchs who kicked the Moors out of Spain, right?”

“I was not-”

“Trust me, I asked way back in ‘85, never got much of an answer, honestly I think it was a complete accident, she did have five kids to name so I guess some weird coincidence was bound to-”

“Mr. Benavente,” the interrogator snapped, “that was not in any way an invitation for you to give me your entire life story, do you understand me? I was merely… expressing confusion.”

“Oh,” Ferd said. “Well, he’s loaded, does that clear things up?”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh yeah, I know you wouldn't know it from looking at our apartment-well, unless you looked in the travel albums, we take a lot of vacations-but yeah, the guy inherited a fortune when he was twenty. And then five years later he invested most of it in the ground floor of Gabriel Agreste’s fashion empire of all things, if you can believe it.”

The interrogator raised his eyebrows. “You married a supervillain… one who victimized you personally… for his money?”

Ferd shrugged. “That and he's amazing in bed.”

“I-what?”

“Not that that's as much of a concern nowadays as it was ten or fifteen years ago, admittedly. I mean, at our age… it's not nothing, though, don't get me wrong, I'm seventy-two, I'm not dead, you know?”

Ferd’s interrogator blinked, face turning red, but before he could respond there was another knock at the door. He quickly crossed the room to answer the door, and a second later was collapsed on the floor.

“Finally,” Ferd said.

“Sorry we’re late,” Jonathan said, as he quickly entered, Adele and Gabriel close behind.

“Oh it’s fine, querido,” Ferd said. “It turns out I’m really good at stalling.”

“Better than Gabriel,” Jonathan muttered as he began working on Ferd’s cuffs, and Ferd looked over Jonathan’s shoulder.

“Yikes,” Ferd said. “You okay?”

“I’ll live,” Gabriel replied dryly. “My interrogator felt personally offended by my actions, it seems.”

Nodding, Ferd turned back to Jonathan. “They know who you-”

“I know,” Jonathan interrupted. “They’ve got their Miraculous energy detectors up and running, apparently. It’s not ideal, but,” Jonathan shrugged, “not much to do other than stick to the plan.”

~~~

With Adele's empathy, navigating their way unseen through the halls was a cinch. In no time at all they'd reached the stairwell.

“Two floors up, you said?” Jonathan asked.

“Mmhmm.” Adele glanced at her husband, then took his hand as they went. “Just like the old days,” she murmured.

Gabriel glanced at the rest of their party. “I don't recall Jonathan ever bringing a paramour along,” he replied.

“Yeah, this is way better,” Jonathan said.

“You know, I'm just flattered to be included at all in this suicide mission,” Ferd said. “If you’d told me when I was twenty-five that one day I’d be on a vitally important mission with Butterfly, Paon and my husband… actually the word ‘husband’ might have been the most exciting part of that, but still.”

Two floors up, Adele held up a hand abruptly and the others stopped. She turned to Gabriel, then pointed at a spot about a foot to the right of the door. “Guard,” she whispered.

“Just one?” Adele nodded. Moving past her, Gabriel approached the stairwell exit and knocked on the door. A second later the guard opened the door, confused, and was immediately met with Gabriel’s fist. He went down immediately, and before he could get up Adele had grabbed his knockout wand off his hip and used it on him. The four of them sighed in relief, and then Gabriel winced and shook his hand. “Since when does punching someone hurt almost as much as being punched?” he muttered.

“Since… physics,” his wife replied. She narrowed her eyes. “Is that the first time you’ve ever punched someone out of transformation?”

“Evidently.”

They exited the stairwell, and Adele took a moment to scan the hallway before pointing to a room about three doors down. “That’s empty,” she whispered, and in no time they were all inside the room, a small dark office. Gabriel and Adele immediately grabbed the room’s desk and shoved it against the door as Jonathan turned to Ferd.

“You’re up,” Jonathan said to his husband, pulling out a small stack of papers from the hidden pocket on the inside right of his jacket and handing them over. “We should be close enough to the defense anchors. These are already in order from most to least important, so just get through as many as you can and I’ll check as you go.”

Nodding, Ferd pulled out a piece of chalk from his pocket and examined the spell written on the top sheet of paper. Kneeling down, he began to copy it on the surface of the floor. Jonathan joined him, watching his work closely, as Gabriel and Adele stayed near the door.

“They’re panicking,” Adele whispered, about five spells in. “They’ve figured out we escaped, they’re looking for us now.” Jonathan nodded, but kept his focus on the spells. For the next ten minutes, the only sound was Ferd’s piece of chalk scraping and squeaking across the floor, and Jonathan’s occasional correction to his work.

“Done,” Ferd finally said, dropping his piece of chalk as the last spell took hold.

“Really?” Jonathan looked over at the stack of papers, now completely exhausted. “Wow. And here I was sure we’d all be found and shot before you got through half of them.”

“So now what?” Adele asked.

Jonathan shrugged. “Wait for the Order to find us and shoot us, I guess.”

“You're not allowed to get shot, remember?” Ferd said. “I was very clear about never forgiving you if you die.”

“You were,” Jonathan agreed, “but I found a loophole. Getting you killed right along with me.”

Ferd grinned. “Damn, I didn't think of that,” he said. He slid across the floor next to Jonathan, who sighed.

“Look at what I dragged you into,” Jonathan said softly, leaning his head on Ferd’s shoulder. “I've been a blight on your entire life.”

“Oh, don't be ridiculous,” Ferd said cheerfully. “Our paths didn't cross until I was forty-three. You've been a blight on half my life at most.” Jonathan let out a low chuckle, and Ferd gently laced his fingers with Jonathan’s. “I wouldn't trade it for anything, you know,” Ferd said.

“I know.” Jonathan looked up at his sister. “How close are they?”

Adele closed her eyes and concentrated. “Not very,” she said. “They're mostly still searching for us two floors down, at the very edge of my radius. I'll let you know when they get closer.” Sighing, she leaned against the desk. “You don't actually think they'll kill us right away.”

“Nah,” Jonathan said. “Not when public execution is an option.”

“Lovely.”

Gabriel put an arm around his wife, pulling her close. “With any luck, the city will fall before the Order has the opportunity to do any such thing. It’s out of our hands now. The defenses of this base are thoroughly corrupted; the rest is up to everyone else.”

Adele nodded, then pulled herself up on the desk, sitting on its surface. “Might as well get comfortable while we wait,” she said. After a moment, Gabriel shrugged and joined her. The four of them sat in silence for a few minutes.

“They’re getting closer,” Adele whispered. None of them responded, and again they sat in silence, the only sounds the distant shouts of Order guards growing steadily more frantic.

Out of nowhere, Jonathan sighed heavily. “Gabriel.”

“Hmm?”

“You were right.”

Gabriel’s eyebrow shot up. “About what?”

“You know what,” Jonathan snapped. “About…” Jonathan took another breath, bracing himself. “About Adele. I never should have gone after her.” Jonathan looked up at Gabriel, but Gabriel’s expression remained unchanged so Jonathan went on. “It was the biggest mistake of my life. I should have just done what she asked, I never should have gone to Tibet, I never should have left Paris. I never should have left… you.”

There was a very long pause. “I see,” Gabriel said quietly.

“And I know that’s thirty years too late to be worth much,” Jonathan added in a rush, “but if it’s worth anything at to you at all, well, there it is.”

For a moment, Gabriel was silent. “Why is it thirty years late?” he asked. “I know you issued a similar apology to Adele decades ago.”

Jonathan shrugged. “What would have been the point? We’d already made up our minds to hate each other forever, hadn’t we?”

“I suppose,” Gabriel admitted.

“I don’t think I could have gotten the words out decades ago. I don’t know if I could have gotten them out six months ago, if we’re being honest.”

“Are we being honest?” Gabriel asked.

“Please.”

Gabriel hesitated. “Jonathan, you were my best friend. And you abandoned me at the absolute lowest point in my entire life.”

Jonathan nodded. “I know.”

“And then you reappeared. With her powers. Twisting them, abusing them, making a mockery of her legacy-”

“I know, Gabriel.”

“-and the only way I could reconcile that with everything I thought you stood for was to tell myself that Jonathan Dumas as I’d known him was dead. Killed by grief, replaced by a cruel joke. I mourned you, Jonathan. But you’re not dead, are you? You’re right here. Which means it was you the whole time.”

“I’ve never tried to pretend it wasn’t,” Jonathan said defensively. “Maybe I haven’t done everything I could have to make things right, but I have never tried to disassociate myself from Hawkmoth. I’ve never acted as though we were two different people, or like my actions haven’t always been my own.” He sighed. “I’m not asking you to forgive me. I just… you were right, and you deserved to hear that from me at least once.”

Gabriel nodded slowly, then sighed. “You were right as well,” he said. “Finding Adele’s Miraculous was not impossible after all. I wish to God it had been,” Gabriel added, somewhat bitterly, “but if I’d believed in your quest, supported your search instead of opposing it… maybe you would have made different choices when you found it.”

“Maybe,” Jonathan muttered. “So now what?”

“Oh,” Gabriel leaned back, “let’s just see if we survive the week first, shall we?” Gabriel glanced at his wife, who had been holding her breath during this entire conversation. “Out of curiosity, did you put him up to that?”

“Oh honestly, Gabriel,” Adele said, rolling her eyes. “Why do you have to ruin moments like this? Of course I didn’t.”

“Yeah,” Ferd said, “Jonathan just blurts stuff out if he’s trapped in a room with someone for longer than ten minutes.”

“I do not,” Jonathan said defensively.

“Really? Because the sentences ‘I’m Hawkmoth’ and ‘We should get married’ both come to mind.”

Jonathan sighed. “Touché,” he muttered.

The four of them fell into silence again, drawing closer to one another as they waited for the inevitable.