You are enough

Disobedience

Gabriel's POV

This time my plan was infallible, my villain was not to be stopped, and I myself had decided to show up in the fight. This time those miraculouses were going to be mine, and there was no way to prevent me from accomplishing my mission. Yet there I was, my de-akumatized villain lying on the floor and Ladybug swaying her yoyo menancily at me. My plan was infallible, right, but it had no way out. I had lured them into a trap of which I was now a victim. Even if I could not see them, I knew the cameras were pointing to the room we were in, expecting to see Hawk Moth's secret identity once and for all.

And all of a sudden, screams.

Loud screams from the outside that made Chat Noir drop a cataclysm to the walls and flee with Ladybug, leaving me behind. I too abandoned the room, eager to know what happened until I saw a giant copper robot breaking everything on its path.

"Mayura," I sighed.

I de-transformed myself and headed home trying to avoid the crazed masses that horrayed as their heroes saved the day.

The sentimonster was defeated by the time I arrived home. I rushed into my studio and descended to my lair.

"Mayura!" I called.

No response.

"Nathalie!" I yelled.

Again, nothing.

I panicked, weak as she was, she had put herself in danger to save me.

"Nathalie!" I ran towards someone that laid on the floor.

I held her in my arms.

"Nathalie, dear, please answer me."

Her eyes were shut, her factions peaceful and her lips in what almost looked like a smile.

It hurt her, I knew it, she knew it... and still, she found some inner peace, some happiness in helping me I could not quite visualise.

Instinctively, I checked her pulse, lowering her turtleneck a bit. The skin was warm, and beneath that warmth, laid a soft beating, like a timid drum.

"Nathalie..."

I pressed her against my chest and covered her with my jacket.

I took her to her bedroom, removed her glasses and tucked her in bed. I sat next to the bed, waiting for her to recover consciousness.

I pondered silently as flashbacks crossed my mind. Now, my loyal secretary laid in an unconscious state, just like my wife had before her condition went permanent. Just like Nathalie, Emilie started coughing, losing her strength little by little until her body could no longer bear it. When I lost Emilie, I felt everyone was replaceable; anyone, anything, no matter the cost to bring her back. I was eager to destroy the city, steal the miraculouses and bring my wife back in order to reestablish harmony in the family. With her loss, I was drawn up to a lake of solitude and harshness without a flicker of joy, without a ray of sunshine to warm my life up just for a little while.

Yet things had begun to fade. My certainties are not as strong as they were a year ago. Now there is someone, aside from my son, I am not willing to replace. Someone I am not willing to trade for Emilie's return. Someone who is loyal, someone who gets no other benefit from this quest than my own happiness by my wife's side, someone whose intentions I quite do not understand but honour nonetheless.

I found my hand tugging one of her hair locks behind her ear and caressing her cheek softly.

Without realising it, Nathalie had become an important part of my life. Someone I could not dispose of, someone I did not want to dispose of. Ever since the beginning of this painful odyssey she stood by my side helping me in whatever way she could, doing as I commanded, advising me... losing her life so that I could get mine back. True, she had disobeyed me a couple of times as she had grabbed the forbidden peacock miraculous back when it was broken, risking herself for me against my will...

But I cannot blame her... after all... she did everything for me. Yet, I need to stop it. This is my quest, my pain, my suffering, and I cannot keep on jeopardising her life for it.

A soft cough brought me back to reality. Nathalie had not opened her eyes yet, but her body was gaining consciousness over its own self. I pressed my head against her forehead to prevent a rebel tear escaping my eye.

"My Nathalie," I mumbled. "Come on, dear."

Those words stung my heart. Flashbacks of years past attacked me mercilessly: "My Emilie, come on, dear." Same words, different names. Just how much did Nathalie Sancoeur mean to me? I shook my head. Just an assistant, she is just my assistant. An assistant I was unable to replace, an assistant I could not bear the thought of her serving another master.

"Nathalie, you are irreplaceable." The words escaped my lips clumsily.

She coughed again and frowned.

A few moments later, she opened her eyes.

"Sir, I..."

"Hush, Nathalie."

"Sir, I am sorry," she uttered painfully. "I failed you..."

"Miss Sancoeur, you disobeyed me." I tried to sound as solemn and furious as I could. "I expressly forbade you the use of the peacock miraculous. Is this a joke?"

"Sir, I... you were in danger."

"Nathalie, I had it under control. You just messed everything up. You kept me away from my miraculouses."

"I... did not know... I thought..."

"Rest, Miss Sancoeur."

"Sir, I am sorry, I just wanted to help you," she coughed.

I left the room and slammed the door behind my back. I meant none of the harshness I used against her. But it had to be done. She could not keep on risking herself like that.

For hours I tried to convince myself I had done the right thing, that the brutality of my tone had been extremely necessary to achieve my goal, yet something inside me tortured me begging me to go and hold her tight against my chest, to be kind, to stay with her. My heart yearned for it, but my pride was not to give in.